Twining Fates
by Kainani
Summary: Ichigo and Rukia's twins have grown and so have their powers. What does fate have in store for them? OCs Continuation of Protecting What's Precious.
1. Chapter 1 Dreams

I've redone this chapter for a second time. The next few chapters seem to be stuck in my brain, so I'm hoping that rewrites will help me get them out.

I hope you enjoy!

Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine!

* * *

**Chapter 1: Dreams**

In two separate worlds two men sat at their individual desks finishing paperwork into the dead hours of the night. One had short, spiky bright orange hair and intense brown eyes while the other had long black hair and reserved dark gray eyes. They looked as different as two people could possibly look, but their actions seemed to mirror each other perfectly.

They were both bent over their desks intently reading the papers in front of them with quiet concentration, the dim lighting causing them to lean closer to their work. Their breathing was even and seemed to be in time with each other as a clock in the background ticked loudly in the silence of the late hour.

Suddenly, both of them stopped writing and looked up as a presence simultaneously impinged on their consciousness. It was a familiar presence – one they had felt fleetingly every now and then for the past ten years, but they were never able to discover its source. They both stood abruptly from their desks and followed that weak pulse to its origin in the bedrooms of their charges. When they reached their respective rooms, they started to raise their hands to open the bedroom doors, but they paused for a moment – almost as if they were afraid of what they might find once they opened it. They remained frozen at the door, but after a few moments, they finally reached their hands up slowly, opened the doors in front of them and looked into the rooms just in time to see… nothing.

The two men gave simultaneous sighs of disappointment as they studied the rooms carefully from the doorway to see if they could still find traces of the energy that had disturbed them.

Pale moonlight shined gently on the faces of the sleeping children in their rooms and everything seemed to be in order. The children's faces were peaceful, and the presence they had felt seemed to have disappeared like smoke in the wind. They had made this nightly trek many times over the years, but they never found anything no matter how quickly they hurried to their rooms. They were always unsure of what they hoped to find in their rooms because they knew that what they wished to find was an impossible dream. They both gave a little shake of their heads at the thought that they were going crazy, but a small part of them didn't really believe that. As they closed the doors behind them a soft light began to glow by the side of the children's sleeping forms.

___________

Ten year old Isamu Kurosaki tossed and turned restlessly in his sleep. In his dream he could see a hazy figure standing in a field of brilliant white snow. He couldn't see the person's face clearly, but he could see her lips moving silently, desperately trying to tell him something. He knew in his heart that it was something very important so he listened as hard as he could, but it was almost as if someone was snatching the words out of the air before they could reach him. He tried to wade through the knee deep snow that surrounded him to get closer to them so he could finally hear what they wanted to say, but a cold wind blasted against him and blinded him with a flurry of snow.

_What do you need to tell me_? Isamu tried to shout out to the figure in white as he brought his arm up to protect his face from the stinging wind and snow, but his voice seemed to also be stolen by the raging storm around him. He marveled for a minute that he wasn't actually freezing to death, but he shoved that thought out of his mind as he remembered that this was just a dream.

Suddenly, the wind stopped and Isamu was engulfed in a silence so deep that he wondered for a moment if he had gone deaf. He lowered his arm and saw that the figure had somehow moved instantaneously to his side, and if he just reached out his hand he would be able to touch it.

_Who are you? _He tried to ask, but the storm suddenly kicked up again and his voice was lost in the roar of the wind. He wiped away the flakes clinging to his lashes that were clouding his vision so that he could see, and realized that the figure was a woman dressed in a gossamer white gown made of snow and ice. Even though she was so close he still could not make out any features on her face, it was almost as if a censor had blurred the image to protect her identity.

"Can you hear me now?" he asked as the wind died down again.

She held a delicate white hand out beseechingly towards him and he reached his hand out to try to grasp her hand in his. He felt that if he could only touch her then everything in this stark white world would suddenly make sense, but as he tried to grasp her hand, his hand passed right through her and she disappeared. Her sudden disappearance startled him so much that he leaned forward too much and he started to fall, but instead of hitting the ground he was suddenly falling into a dark cavernous pit that had suddenly opened up beneath him. He screamed as he fell and then bolted straight up in his bed.

_Just a dream, it was just a dream. _

The thought raced frantically through his head as he tried to calm his breathing and racing heart, he was drenched in sweat from head to toe. He had been having similar dreams on and off for the past few months, but this was the first time he had encountered the dark yawning pit at the end. For some reason falling into that pit had scared him more than anything else he had ever encountered in his entire life. Although the pit had seemed like nothing, but empty space, Isamu couldn't shake the feeling that he had been falling into certain doom.

_I've got to relax and calm down before…_

A soft knock on his bedroom door shocked him out of his fear and prompted him to pull himself together in a hurry. He his father probably heard him awake from his nightmare and was checking up on him. He didn't want to give him cause to worry so he wiped his sweat drenched face quickly with his blanket and managed to arrange his face into a calm mask just before his father stepped into his room.

"Are you alright, Isamu?" Ichigo Kurosaki asked as he opened the door to the room, his bright orange hair seemed to glow in the light from the hallway behind him and his brown eyes were filled with concern as he regarded Isamu with a small frown. He was still wearing his white doctor's coat so it must it must still be night time instead of early morning. "I thought I heard you screaming."

"I'm okay Dad," Isamu replied, he didn't want his father to worry so he tried to sound as nonchalant as possible even though he could still feel his heart trying to beat a hole into his chest. He glanced at the clock on his desk in an effort to avoid his father's intense, searching gaze and saw that it was 1:30 in the morning. "Why are you still up, Dad? Don't you have an early meeting tomorrow morning?"

"I do," Ichigo answered slowly as he took a couple steps into the room and closed the door softly behind him. "But I'm more concerned that you've been having quite a few nightmares lately."

His father was obviously aware that Isamu was trying to deflect him from his nightmare with his questions. He walked all the way into the room and sat next to him on his bed and stared at him squarely in his face. Isamu squirmed a little under such intense scrutiny. He knew that his Dad was probably noticing his sweat drenched hair and pale face.

"Is there anything you wanted to talk about?"

Isamu sighed and ran his fingers through his damp, unruly black hair. Now that his Dad was here with such a concerned look on his face, Isamu felt himself calm down. In the safety of his room with him, his dream that had scared him so much at first began to seem silly and he felt embarrassed at having disturbed him with something that was starting to seem a bit trivial.

"No, Dad, I'm sorry that I bothered you," he said with a very small smile, he was trying his best to look completely fine, but Isamu could still feel a little tightness in his expression. He rubbed his face vigorously with his hands to try to get rid of the last bit of tension and muttered his next words from behind his hands to avoid his father's intense gaze. "It was just my imagination running away with me. I probably shouldn't have watched that horror movie on TV after dinner."

"Why don't I believe you, Isamu?" Ichigo asked as he stared at him with a look that spoke of huge volumes of disbelief. Isamu moved his hands away from his face and could only shrug in response to his father's question.

"I can't think of anything else that it could be," he answered calmly, it was easier to be calm now that his heart had finally slowed down to a normal rhythm. Part of him wondered why he didn't just tell his Dad all about the nightmares he'd been having, but for some reason the woman in the dreams seemed important to him and he didn't want to share her with anyone else just yet.

Ichigo looked as if he was going to say more, but he seemed to think over several things quickly in his mind. He gave his head a little shake and sighed as he stood up from the bed and reached over to ruffle Isamu's hair. It was a comforting gesture that his Dad had done ever since he was small. That loving gesture chased the last of Isamu's unease away and he felt himself finally begin to relax.

"I'll let it go for now, Isamu, but remember that I'm always here for you," he said as he regarded his son's face carefully. He ruffled Isamu's raven black hair one more time and then stood up from his bed.

"Goodnight, Isamu."

"Goodnight, Dad."

__________________

Masumi Kuchiki always felt like she was searching for something in her dreams. She would often find herself wandering through the many streets of the Seireitei or the cast halls of Kuchiki manor where she would search and search for something that she could never name. Her dreams were almost always like that, and the only thing she knew for certain was that it was something very important and she needed to find it soon. At other times she would find herself chasing it and right when she could touch it with her fingers it would vanish into thin air.

She would always end up lost and all alone in the dark at the end of all of her dreams, but this one was different. Instead of endless streets or corridors she stood in a white field of snow in the middle of a snow storm. She could see the flakes swirl violently around her, but she didn't feel the biting cold or the sting of the wind whipping around her. It was almost as if she was a visitor to someone else's dream and she was just an observer.

_Why am I here?_ She wondered as she gazed curiously at the foreign landscape around her.

In the distance, on a mound not too far from her, she could see a dark haired boy about her age struggling against the wind through the deep snow. He was trudging slowly towards a figure clad all in white in the far distance. Although Masumi was far away from both of them and she couldn't make out either of their faces, she felt that she should know who they were. She started to move towards them, a feeling of desperate need suddenly appearing out of nowhere and filling her entire being. She needed to reach them.

_Wait, _she tried to cry out to them, but her voice was lost in the howl of the storm around her.

Masumi managed to take one step forward, but a sudden gust of wind whirled the snow around her and blinded her for an instant. When it stopped, the two others in the snow were gone and she stood in the brilliant white field all alone.

"Don't leave me!"

Masumi's eyes snapped open in the dark as she tried to muffle her anguished cry with her hands. She felt a stab of loneliness pierce her heart as her heart beat heavily in her chest. Tears welled up in her brown eyes as she sat up slowly in her bed. A single tear managed to escape and it traced its way from the inside corner of her eye to the tip of her nose. It hung there for a moment before it fell and landed without a sound on to her futon.

_What's a matter with me? _Masumi wondered as she stared at the small damp circle her tear had made on her futon. _Why do I feel like I just lost something important to me again?_

Her head quickly turned towards her door as she heard the faint rustling of someone coming to check on her. She rubbed her tears away just in time as the sliding door to her room opened and her uncle, Byakuya Kuchiki, regard her quietly from the doorway. To anyone else his expression might have seemed aloof and maybe even a bit cold, but Masumi could always read the true feelings beneath his mask and she could see his concern loud and clear.

_I don't know how he does it, but he always seems to know when I'm not sleeping well…_

"What is the matter, Masumi?" he asked in a quiet voice as he entered her room. He made his way to her side and sat down on his knees by her futon on the floor. "Did you have a bad dream? I thought I heard you crying."

"It's nothing, Byakuya Oji-sama," she replied with her usual bright smile plastered on her face. She felt that he sometimes worried about her too much and she didn't want to give him another reason to. "It was just a silly dream. It wasn't even bad enough to be considered a nightmare."

He regarded her again without saying a word, carefully studying her face. His silence made her want to babble on a little more, but she knew that if she kept talking she might end up blurting out how bad her nightmares were becoming, son instead, she simply brightened her expression by a couple of notches to try to convince him that everything was fine.

"You seem to be troubled by many of these 'silly dreams' lately," he finally replied softly as he finally realized that she wasn't going to explain anymore to him. His expression was stoic, but Masumi could see the increased concern in his eyes. She wondered for a moment if he realized how just how much these dreams bothered her even though she had tried to hide it.

"I'm fine, Byakuya Oji-sama," she replied earnestly in an effort to wipe the concern from his eyes. She adored her uncle to no end and the last thing she wanted was to cause him any worry. She forced a small laugh, made a face and placed her small hand on his much larger one. "See, I'm back to my silly self already."

He closed his eyes and tilted his head down for a moment before he answered her. He clearly seemed to realize that this was an act, but she knew that he wouldn't push her on it if she kept insisting that she was ok.

_Believe me Byakuya Oji-sama… please believe me…_

"Very well Masumi," he finally answered after several moments had passed. "But if anything is troubling you, please let me know."

Then he stood up silently and walked towards the door, casting one more parting look over his shoulder before he walked out. Masumi smiled once more and made a shooing gesture with her hands. She made a big show about settling herself back into her bed by fluffing out her pillow and taking exaggerated care to make sure that her futon was spread out nicely over her. Once she finished doing that she lay down, turned her back towards her uncle and pretended to fall back asleep. She waited for what felt like an eternity before she heard her door slide close and her uncle's soft steps move away from her room.

_What could that dream have been about? _She wondered as she turned onto her back and stared sightlessly at her ceiling. _I felt like it was so important that I help that boy although I don't remember ever seeing him before; and who was the woman standing so far away in the snow? I felt like I knew them both somehow…_

Masumi's thoughts swirled around her head like the snow from her dreams until, sometime near dawn, she finally fell back asleep.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope this rewrite fixed any problems there might have been, but I know I always miss something.^^

Remember reviews are always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2 Concern

_Thanks for reading on and checking out the edits for this chapter also._

_Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach but I sure wish I did!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 2: Concern**

Ichigo Kurosaki gently closed his son's bedroom door behind him. He was concerned about Isamu's nightmares because they seemed to be increasing in frequency recently and he was worried that it might have something to do with his son's quickly growing powers.

Isamu met with Kisuke Urahara every Sunday at Urahara shoten for training and for tests. According to Urahara it seemed that Isamu's powers had started to grow in leaps and bounds recently and he seemed to easily master almost anything that Urahara was able to throw at him. Isamu had even learned how to access his bracelet as an actual Zanpakutou even though he still had not been able to speak directly with Sode no Shirayuki. Urahara had warned Ichigo that at the rate that Isamu was going Ichigo would have to have a talk with him soon about the past.

_I know his nightmares have been really bothering him, but I don't know what to say to him about the night his mother died or why I had to let his twin sister be separated from him,_ Ichigo worried quietly as he leaned against Isamu's door for just a was definitely a conversation he wished he could put off for quite a bit longer because no matter how he rehearsed it in his head it always came out wrong. _ I wish you were here Rukia. You always knew exactly what to say at times like these._

Ichigo let out a small sigh. It had been over ten years since Rukia had passed away and Masumi had gone to live in the Soul Society, but Ichigo still missed them both every day. In most parts of his life it seemed as if he had moved on, but his heart was still forever tied to the two missing ladies in his life. His heartache seemed to focus more on Rukia because she was gone from his life forever while he was at least comforted by news about Masumi's health and happiness in the Soul Society from Urahara.

"Everyone seems to have moved on completely with their lives except for me, Rukia_,"_ Ichigo whispered as he stared blankly at the wall in front of him. He closed his eyes and listened for her voice to tell him to stop being a wimp and get over it, but as always, silence was the only reply he received. He opened his eyes and sighed as he thought about everyone else for a moment.

Chad's band had actually gained some notoriety and he was now traveling all over the country with them; Orihime and Ishida had gotten married about six years ago, and Ishida was now helping his father run their family hospital while they lived happily together with their five year old daughter, Hikari; Karin had finally decided that it would be best if she moved out on her own for a while. She was renting an apartment near the clinic. She had taken the longest, next to Ichigo, to move on with her life after Rukia's death because she blamed herself for causing Rukia to go in to early labor. She knew that no one blamed her for it and that Rukia would be the last one to ever feel that way, but she still felt guilty for not being more careful and needing to have Rukia save her life.

_Hopefully this new job she's gotten will help her move on, _Ichigo mused as he frowned thoughtfully at the floor. Karin was working as an assistant to one of the CEOs of a major real estate firm and was using it to maneuver herself into a better position in the company.

_Maybe now she'll be able to move on without reminders of that night all around her, _he thought as he looked at the familiar surroundings of his home. _Unlike me – I don't think I could ever leave here even if I wanted to._

After Rukia's death Ichigo had gotten his medical degree in record time because he had thrown himself into school and taking care of Isamu to try and dull the pain of life without Rukia. The memories of her presence lingered in every room of their home and, at first, he had a hard time coping with it, but as time passed he began to treasure the fleeting images his mind provided him of her whenever something brought a memory of her out of the recesses of his mind. When he completed his internship he had settled into his work at the clinic. He had felt content to just concentrate on his work at the clinic, take care of Isamu and keep Karakura safe from Hollows. His family and friends often mentioned that they felt that he should go out and do other things - meet someone new, but he just didn't want to. Some of his friends, especially Keigo, had tried to get him to go out on dates with other women, but none of them ever worked out.

_After all_, he thought bitterly as he finally pushed himself off the door and made his way downstairs again, _how do you find a replacement for the other half of your soul?_

Besides, he was always too busy taking care of the clinic, researching a way to bring Masumi back home and being a single parent to be concerned with something as trivial as dating.

That was the case, especially now, since Yuzu had actually hooked up with Jinta Hanakari and was staying with him at Urahara shoten until they could find a place of their own. They had only gotten married a couple of months ago so Ichigo had even less time to think about finding someone new because he was still trying to get used to keeping everything in order without Yuzu around.

_Lucky for us, Isamu actually learned how to cook from Yuzu or else we'd all be starving right now, _Ichigo thought as he entered the kitchen for a drink before he went to bed. This was his nightly ritual ever since Rukia's funeral. Without it, he tended to stare at his ceiling all night while he thought about her. He rummaged through the refrigerator for a few seconds before he found the bottle he was looking for. Ichigo had just opened it and was taking his first drink when a voice behind him suddenly spoke.

"Just what I need - a lush for a son," the overly tragic voice of his father said behind him, it startled Ichigo so badly that he choked on the first sip that he had taken out of the bottle. "Have you no shame, Ichigo? How will I ever explain this to your mother when I finally see her again?"

Ichigo coughed violently for a few moments to clear his throat and then he wiped his mouth with the back of his sleeve. He stood up, slammed the refrigerator door shut and then turned to glare angrily at his father, Isshin Kurosaki, who was standing in the entranceway to the kitchen dressed in grey sweat pants and a white shirt. He still looked basically the same after ten years except for the fact that he had a little more gray in his scruffy beard. He stood in front of Ichigo with such an exaggerated look of despair on his face that you would have thought that Isshin had caught him strangling small kittens instead of getting a night cap from the fridge.

_Damn it! _Ichigo fumed as he staredat his father with the bottle slightly hidden behind his leg. _Thirty years as a father and ten years as a grandfather, you would think the old man would stop acting like such an idiot._

"What the hell are you talking about, you stupid old man," he snapped as he walked towards the door so he could go to his room. "I hardly call one beer a night being a lush."

As Ichigo was about to squeeze past his father to go to his room Isshin raised his hand and grasped his shoulder before he could walk away.

"You're still young, Ichigo," he said with an uncharacteristically serious expression on his face as he gave a sidelong look towards his son. "I don't think Rukia would have wanted you to be pining away for her for so long."

Ichigo felt his expression harden at his father's familiar sounding words. It seemed that people assumed that since he had shown no interest in anyone since Rukia that they all had to try to fix him up with someone, but as far as Ichigo was concerned he felt that if he wanted to spend the rest of his life alone then it was his own damn decision to do so.

"You're one to talk, old man," Ichigo replied quietly as he shook his father's hand from his shoulder. "You should be the last person telling me this since you probably feel the same way about Mom as I do with Rukia."

Then Ichigo brusquely brushed past his father, walked up the stairs and headed towards his room. He had to walk past Isamu's room to get to his and the moment he passed it his mind was drawn back to his earlier worries about his son.

_It's about time I told him everything, _he thought as he walked past his son's room and into his. _I think he's old enough to understand everything that happened ten years ago and maybe that will help him deal with what's happening to him now._

_____________________

Byakuya Kuchiki sat on the floor of his bedroom where he was working quietly by a low table on the floor. A candle next to him flickered as a breeze blew through the slightly open sliding doors and ruffled the sheets of paper in front of him. He was trying to review the reports from his squad's recent missions, but was failing miserably as he worried about Masumi's persistent nightmares. He had lost track of how many times he had heard her cry out in the middle of the night for the past few months.

_She looks so sad when she thinks no one is watching, _he thought worriedly as he glanced back down at the paper he was reading. He blinked slowly at the report in his hand and gave a small sigh as he put the reports away when he realized that he had read the same sheet of paper in his hand three times in a row. He stood up silently and went to open his sliding doors so that he could look at the moon that was shining a silvery light into the courtyard. _I've tried my best to keep my promise to you, Rukia, but I do not know what to do. I wish I knew what she needed to be completely happy._

Byakuya stood as still as a statue as he gazed out into the courtyard to try and clear his mind. The moonlight painted everything in the courtyard in various shades of grey which matched the unpleasant thoughts whirling through his mind. The memories of his past failures with Rukia still haunted his heart and mind daily. He had tried his best to make amends by devoting himself to taking care of Masumi and providing her with everything she could possibly need, but lately she seemed to be needing something that he couldn't seem to give her.

_I seem to be failing you again, Rukia, _he thought as his mind wandered through everything that might be worrying Masumi. _I wonder if I should have told her about her past by now or tried harder to find a way for her to go back to the human world_.

He had these thoughts many times and he had always come to the same decision to put these things off until she was older and would have a better understanding of what had happened in her short life. Part of him could not deny that part of it might be selfish because Masumi had definitely made his life better since he had brought her home with him ten years ago. She had added a brightness and joy to his life that he never thought he would be able to recapture after the deaths of Hisana and Rukia. Even now, he often wondered what type of bleak existence he would have returned to if he had not brought her home with him. Despite that he knew that his ultimate motivation was that he could not bear to cause her any sadness and he felt that to break this news to her might break her heart.

_She has grown so much. I cannot believe that ten years have gone by so quickly._

Time stretched out slowly in the Soul Society so in the ten years that had passed, Masumi's rapid growth from infant to child had been the only major change during a rather peaceful and normal period in the history of the Soul Society. The squads had basically remained the same with only a few changes to lower personnel. The Captain positions of Squads three, five, and nine had remained vacant for these past ten years since no one had seemed willing to take over or they had not been able to pass the Captain's test. Many Shinigami had perished during the Winter War many years ago and they were still concentrating on rebuilding their ranks. It took many years of training for a Shinigami to achieve a Captain's level of power and the only exception to that rule had been Ichigo Kurosaki. It also didn't help that many of their top candidates had also been assigned to take care of the human world and were unable to return until the barrier separating the two worlds was completely repaired. Besides, since the world was in complete peace and balance for the moment Central 46 had felt no urgency to fill those vacant positions immediately and potentially appoint the wrong candidates. The mistakes of the past seemed to have made the current governing body overly cautious.

_At the rate everyone is moving Masumi will be ready to take a position as a Captain, _he thought quietly as he continued to look silently out at the courtyard. _She will begin training at the academy in a couple of weeks – maybe that is why she has been so upset lately._

Byakuya considered that idea for a few minutes and then closed his eyes as he decided against it. She was always so open and fearless with everyone and everything that the thought of her being afraid of going to the academy seemed ridiculous. If anything, she seemed impatient that she had to wait this long to go. She wished for nothing more than the chance to finish her training so she could become a Shinigami just like him and all of her adopted aunts and uncles in the various squads.

_Although she is advanced in her fighting abilities Masumi is still naïve when it comes to dealing with other people, _Byakuya thought, he let out a small sigh as he looked back up at the moon. _She has been so sheltered and protected by everyone that she would be an easy target for someone to take advantage of her. If I had _my _wish she would remain here with me, but I am at my limit to help her reach her true potential._

Masumi's powers had grown exponentially in the past few years and she had mastered almost every skill he could teach her. She was capable of performing high level kidou spells, could shunpo almost as fast as he could, and had excellent swordsmanship. She could fight very well on her own, but for some odd reason, even with all her prowess, she had not been able to get in touch with her Zanpakutou. Whether it was because she had a piece of her mother's Zanpakutou constantly with her or because of her unusual birth with her twin, she was unable to bring out her sword's true abilities. Masumi hoped that she just needed some additional training at the academy to help her powers along. She had asked him constantly to let her go and he had only relented just recently after he realized how important this was to her.

_I just want her to be safe and happy, but I will not make any decisions for her that is against her wishes. I have learned my lesson, Rukia, and I will not hold her back from doing what she feels is right._

Byakuya opened his eyes and looked up at the full moon shining down. He did not know why, but he had a very bad feeling about Masumi leaving the Kuchiki home for her training although, for the life of him, he could not explain why.

_Maybe I am just being too overprotective, _he thought as he brought his hand up to massage the bridge of his nose. _It is not as if she is going to another world and I can still check on her every day._

Byakuya sighed and headed back into his room to get some rest. Maybe he could deal with his problems better in the morning.

* * *

_I wanted to try to add something that showed that Ichigo still had his daughter Masumi on his mind because as pointed out I seemed to have left her out a bit. I will hopefully address Ichigo's feelings about his daughter better in later chapters._

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!  
_


	3. Chapter 3: Beginning

_Thanks for your continued support of this story. Please enjoy this next chapter._

_Disclaimer: Bleach should be mine! All mine! (But it's not!)  
_

* * *

**Chapter 3: Beginning**

A weak shaft of pale morning light shined gently down onto Isamu's sleeping form. His face screwed up into a look of annoyance as the light filtered through his eyelids and awoke his tired mind from his restless sleep. He rolled over and quickly drew the blanket over his head to block out the early morning sun and try to recapture some of his lost sleep from the night before. He remained like that for a few seconds before he suddenly threw the blanket off of him and sat straight up in his bed.

"Aw, crap," he muttered blearily to himself, momentarily borrowing one of his father's favorite phrases. He reached for his alarm clock on the desk next to his bed and stared at its glowing red numbers. His sleep deprived mind took a few seconds to decode the information in front of him, but when he was finally able to focus he realized that it was eight o'clock. "I'm late."

_Why didn't Dad or Grandpa wake me up? _Isamu wondered as he leapt out of bed and quickly rummaged through his drawers for something decent to wear to his training session with Urahara-sensei. He was supposed to be there already, and even though Urahara-sensei seemed like an easy going person, Isamu had the bruises all over his body as proof as to how tough a teacher he could really be – especially when he was late. He finally fished out a pair of jeans and a faded black shirt from his drawer and quickly changed his clothes. He ran out the door with a quick, disgusted glance at his unmade bed and the pile of clothes he left on the floor, but he combated the urge to take the time to straighten his room so that he wouldn't be any later than he already was. He preferred to be neat and organized, especially with his room because he had a very special person there.

"Sorry, Mom," he said quietly as he glanced at his mother's picture on his desk. It was actually an old picture of both his parents at the park near their home. It used to be in his Dad's room and had been one of his father's most prized possessions. When Isamu was younger he would always sneak into his father's bedroom and stare at the photo when he thought his Dad wouldn't notice because he loved to imagine that he was in the picture with the kind, beautiful looking woman being held by his father. He would always envision himself leaning against the front of her sunny yellow dress with her arms wrapped around him. He would have never dreamed about asking his father for this photo, but when Isamu had turned five and started to attend kindergarten his father had gifted it to him all of a sudden when he had caught Isamu staring at it one day.

"_Here, Isamu, I think you should have this now," his Dad had said as he approached the desk and gently picked up the photo and handed it to him. Isamu had almost fallen over in surprise at sound of his father's voice suddenly coming from behind him. When his Dad had deposited the picture in his hands he could only stare at him wide-eyed with his mouth hanging open in shock. "I think your Mom will be really happy if she got to stay in your room from now on." _

Isamu remembered the fleeting look of sadness his father had let slip for a moment when he handed Isamu the picture and then gently ruffled his hair. It had cost his father something to hand that picture to him, but despite his Dad's outwardly grumpy and rough demeanor Isamu knew that his father was a very loving and kind person who probably knew that Isamu went into his room everyday to be with the mother he never knew. He realized, even at that young age, that his father had given him a very precious gift and he treated it as such.

_What am I doing? I don't have time to be spacing out about stuff like this right now. _

Isamu shook his head and let out a small sigh. He hurried out the door and down the stairs before he could become later than he already was. He was sure that the beautiful woman in the photo with his hair and eyes would forgive him for leaving the room a mess just this once.

It wasn't until he reached the front door and realized that the shoes of the other two males in the Kurosaki family were gone that he finally remembered the reason why his Dad and Grandpa hadn't been around to wake him up. They had both left early this morning for a meeting with Mr. Ishida at his hospital. He had no idea what the meeting could possibly be about or why they had to meet so early in the morning, but he had no time to wonder about it any further because he had to get to Urahara shoten before he got beaten into an unrecognizable pulp by Mr. Tessai or – even worse – by Urahara sensei himself. Despite his worries he did feel one small spark of happiness because anytime his family had a meeting with the Ishida's it invariably meant that Orihime Oba-chan and her daughter, Hikari, would be coming over for dinner while they waited for everyone to come home.

Orihime Oba-chan was like a surrogate mother to him and Hikari was just like his real little sister. She had helped take care of him when he was really little and he cared for them both very much. Uryuu Oji-san was nice, but he wasn't as open and loving as his wife and daughter and he was often busy with his work at the hospital. Orihime Oba-chan and Hikari always seemed to be concerned about everyone no matter who they were.

_I just better make sure that I get back in time to cook dinner, _he thought worriedly as he raced through the streets towards Urahara shoten. _If I don't finish making something before they arrive Orihime Oba-chan is going to insist on helping with dinner, and I don't think I want to end up eating red bean paste and leek stew._

___________

Masumi awoke with a start. She gazed uncomprehendingly around her brightly lit room and for a few moments she was unable figure out where in the world she was. Slowly as her sleep fogged brain started to slowly clear she realized that it was late morning and she had probably slept soundly through breakfast with her uncle and their morning training session.

_Oh, no! _Masumi thought as she jumped out of bed. She threw her futon haphazardly to the side and started to run around in a panic in an effort to get ready as quickly as possible. _I'm starting the academy in only a couple of weeks and I can't afford to miss any training. I hope it's not as late as I think it is!_

The moment she started to move her door immediately slid open to reveal her lady-in-waiting, Kiyomi Shimada, kneeling patiently by the door for her. Masumi didn't know if Kiyomi had some sort of strange sixth sense or if she just simply waited outside the door for her until she heard her get up, but it seemed like no matter what time of the day it was Kiyomi always seemed to be ready and waiting for her when she needed to get dressed and ready for her day.

"Good morning, Masumi-sama," she said as she bowed low to her from the floor, her long dark braid which was streaked with a few strands of white, spilled over her shoulder and made a coiled rope on the floor. She raised her head and smiled quietly at Masumi with an amused look behind her glasses at the complete state of panic and disarray that she seemed to be in. "Would you like me to bring breakfast in for you now?"

"Kiyoooomiiii!" Masumi wailed as she ran frantically around her room, throwing things here and there as she tried to get dressed. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier?! I missed breakfast with Byakuya Oji-sama and our morning training session! I can't get lax on my training or else I'm not going to make it at the academy!"

"Actually, Masumi-sama, your uncle was the one who asked me not to wake you and to let you sleep," Kiyomi replied soothingly as she patiently trailed after her and calmly picked up the mess she was leaving in her wake. "He said that he had nothing pressing today and would be home for most of the day, so you could train with him once you woke up."

Masumi abruptly stopped in her tracks and Kiyomi, who was following close behind, bumped into her and fell over. Masumi whirled around and gave the older woman a quick hug on the floor as she gave a shout of joy.

"You mean Byakuya Oji-sama is going to be home all day with me!" she cried out gleefully to the startled face of her lady-in-waiting. She saw Kiyomi's face break out into a small smile at her enthusiasm. Kiyomi was probably going tell her that her uncle couldn't stay with her all day, but Masumi was already off, whirling around the room in happiness. "Yay! Kiyomi, can you please bring my breakfast over right away while I get ready to meet with Byakuya Oji-sama."

"Right away, Masumi-sama," Kiyomi said with a low bow after she stood up and smoothed her kimono out. She smiled fondly at Masumi and headed out the door. "Please try not to make too much of a mess while I'm gone."

Masumi was ecstatic at the thought of being able to still spend a part of her day with Byakuya Oji-sama. Although she had overstated herself - as usual - she knew that he couldn't really spend an entire day with her because he was always so busy tending to his duties as the captain of Squad 6 and managing the Kuchiki household. She rarely got to spend time with him so she was immensely grateful that he had stayed home long enough to train with her. She practically danced across the room to fetch her clothes and get dressed while she hummed a little tune to herself.

_Maybe today will be the day I can finally get my own Zanpakutou to appear, _she thought excitedly as she slipped her arms into her training clothes which were similar to the uniform of the academy. The clothes she had slept in were cast carelessly into several corners of her room. _I have a feeling that today will be the day!_

As she finished pulling her clothes on she finally noticed the mess she had made of her room and bit her lip as she remembered Kiyomi's parting words. She was always a bit of a slob, but it was only because she was always so anxious to get started on whatever she was thinking about at that time that she often forgot to clean up after herself.

_I guess I better at least put them all in one pile before she comes back, _she thought, feeling a twinge of guilt at always making Kiyomi work so hard to clean up after her. She bent down and began to pick up her clothes when she suddenly noticed something peeking out from under her futon. She crawled over to her bed to pick it up and was surprised into silence as she realized what she held in her hand.

_Mother…_

Her mother's lovely, smiling face looked up happily at her as she leaned against a tall, orange haired man who had an arm casually thrown across her shoulders. They were wearing clothing that was unfamiliar to her, but Masumi knew that her mother had met her father in the human world so she assumed that the pretty yellow outfit her mother was wearing was from there. After her initial shock at suddenly having such an amazing thing turn up so unexpectedly in her room, it finally dawned on her that the man in the photo must be her father.

_It must be him, _she thought in quiet wonder as her fingertips gently touched the face of the man she had never met. _His hair and his eyes are exactly the same as mine._

This was the first time she had ever seen a picture of her father although she had heard a great many stories about him. Her uncle never spoke of him unless she asked him a direct question and he never seemed to like answering even those, but the rest of the squads and her friends often spoke of him and his comrades from the human world who were the great heroes of the Winter War that ended just before she was born. The only thing she knew, other than the stories about his brave deeds from the past, was that he had to give her up right after she was born to Byakuya Oji-sama's care and that his name was Ichigo Kurosaki.

_Who could have left this here? _Masumi wondered as she continued to stare at the photo of her parents. They both looked so young and happy. _I know it couldn't have been Byakuya Oji-sama because although he's never said it out loud I just have a feeling that he's never really liked my father and he would never have just left something like this lying around._

Just then she heard her door slide open and she quickly tucked the picture into the folds of her clothes. She would keep this a secret for now until she could figure out how this picture made it to her room.

* * *

_Didn't really edit this chapter, but I just uploaded it because I lost track of what I was doing. Pregnancy seems to suck your brains out of your body.^^_

_Thanks for reading! Reviews are always appreciated!  
_


	4. Chapter 4: Reflections Part I

_You're almost at the newest chapter. Thanks for keeping up with this story. As I mentioned before I meant for this chapter to be longer, but I was trying to get something up because it had been so long since I updated._

_Disclaimer: Still don't own Bleach!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 4: Reflections Part I**

Kisuke Urahara stood calmly in the dusty training cavern below his shop as he regarded his young student keenly. Isamu Kurosaki was panting heavily as sweat poured off of his strong, lithe body. He had his Zanpakutou pointed straight at Urahara who was holding his Zanpakutou, Benihime, in a loose easy grip on his shoulder. Urahara looked as if he were leaving himself wide open for an attack in an attempt to goad his student into some rash action, but his eyes watched his young opponent intently as he waited for the boy to figure out his next move. Isamu had amazing abilities for a ten year old, but he was often overly cautious and didn't trust his instincts enough in the middle of battle. Today Urahara was pushing him especially hard in an attempt to get him to act a little more and think a little less.

_Besides, _Urahara chuckled inwardly, _if I didn't punish him by beating the pulp out of him for being late he'd probably be freaking out over what I was planning to do to him later._

"Again, Isamu," Urahara said when it seemed like his student was taking too long to consider his next move. "In a real battle you'd be dead by now if you stood still that long. How are you going to bring out the true power of your Zanpakutou if you hesitate like this all of the time."

"Maybe, it's because I don't have the same type as powers my mother or you're just a lousy teacher," Isamu snapped back at Urahara, his patience finally wore thin from his exhaustion and frustration. Urahara felt his eyes widen a little in surprise at Isamu's minor outburst as he regarded him from under the brim of his green and white striped hat. Isamu was usually the most level headed and patient person Urahara had ever met - the complete antithesis to his often hot-headed father – and any sort of outburst from him was a bit of a shock. Urahara had been working him extra hard because of his tardiness this morning, but he didn't feel as if he were working him that much harder than usual. It was odd, but it might be a good thing because right now Isamu seemed to be showing the first signs of cracking and letting more of his natural instincts come into play during his training.

_Finally, _Urahara thought a little triumphantly as his student made a mad rush for him with his Zanpakutou. Isamu held it low to the ground and slightly behind him as he used shunpo to close the distance between him and his sensei. He then feinted to Urahara's right and then vanished from sight as he used shunpo to leap above and come behind him. Urahara let a small smile come to his lips as he used his own shunpo to get out of the way of Isamu's blade just before he made contact with him. Isamu quickly adjusted his course and raced after him. Urahara took off parallel to Isamu and they both raced through the training ground waiting for the other to make the first move. Suddenly, Isamu gave a wild shout and closed the gap between them with a sudden leap that was almost too fast for even Urahara to keep up with. It was then that he noticed the shift in the boy's reiatsu.

_It can't be happening already, _he thought with dismay as he looked at Isamu more carefully. The boy was breathing heavily and there was a thin trickle of blood flowing down from the top of his head down the right side of his face, but that wasn't what was disturbing to Urahara. It was the slightly wild, hungry expression in his eyes which seemed to have seeped into them out of nowhere. _He hasn't even communed with his Zanpakutou or accessed any of its abilities yet. His inner Hollow can't seriously be emerging already…_

Urahara's thoughts were cut short as Isamu, with another wild shout, charged towards him again even faster than the last time. His reiatsu was definitely becoming more like Hollow's and less like his own. Urahara could see Isamu's eyes begin to bleed into the all too familiar black and yellow coloring of the Visoreds.

_This is not good, _Urahara thought as he parried Isamu's Zanpakutou with Benihime. He shoved the boy back as far as he could and then prepared himself to finally fight seriously against him. _I better end this quickly before he can change any further…_

With that, Urahara, with a skill that can only come from decades as a Shinigami, quickly moved behind Isamu and quickly knocked Isamu hard on his head with Benihime's hilt before Isamu could completely register where he had gone. The young boy crumpled in a heap on the ground and his Zanpakutou immediately resumed its original form as a bracelet around his wrist.

"Tenchou!" Tessai called out as he hurried over with the medical kit to where Urahara stood over Isamu's unconscious body. A tense, worried expression sat unpleasantly on Urahara's face as he contemplated what this could mean. "What's happening? Is young Isamu alright?"

"He's fine," he said automatically as he watched Tessai go to work on Isamu's unconscious form, his thoughts racing as he tried to contemplate what was the next step. He had been certain this day would come considering his parentage, but he hadn't expected it to happen so soon.

_He's fine for now, _was Urahara's grim thought as he stared at the face of his unconscious student, _but not for long…_

______________

Isamu was back in the brilliant white field of snow from his dreams, but unlike last night it was completely calm and there was no storm raging around him. He was also utterly alone with no sign of the woman he was always struggling towards through the snow. He had never been in the woods or out in the open fields during the winter time and he wondered if it really was this desolate and lonely in reality.

_Maybe it's because there doesn't seem to be any life out here, _he thought to himself as he looked around at the stark white hills with only a few scattered pine trees breaking up the monotony of the scene around him. The cold, clear blue of the sky seemed to only enhance the lonely, bleak atmosphere of this world and the only sound that could be heard was his breath coming in and out of his lungs. _Why am I here again? I remember training with Urahara-sensei, but for some reason the fight seems to be a little fuzzy at the end. I was getting frustrated and wishing I was strong enough to just finish it already, but I don't remember anything after…_

"Isamu…," a low voice hissed quietly from behind.

Isamu whirled around at the sound of a voice behind him. He had never heard anyone speak in his dreams before and it took him completely aback. As he turned to face the direction of the voice, he blinked in surprise when he discovered that there was no one there. Instead, a dark entrance to a large cave now stood about 10 feet away where he had been certain there had been only blank, white snow before. It made a really sinister, foreboding looking scar on the purity of the snow surrounding it.

"Isamu…," the voice hissed again from the depths of the cave, and Isamu thought he could make out a pair of yellow eyes glowing in the darkness of the cavern. "I've been waiting for you."

"Who are you?" Isamu asked cautiously as he backed away slowly from the voice and the gaping maw of the cavern. He wasn't about to get any closer to it until he could figure out what it wanted. He heard the voice chuckle softly to itself as it watched him intently with its sinister looking yellow eyes.

"Why… I'm you, Isamu," the voice said silkily as the speaker finally slid out into view at the mouth of the cave. Isamu's eyes widened in shock and he scrambled back a few more steps in alarm as he finally got a good look at the owner of the voice speaking to him. Isamu blinked in surprise a few more times before he finally stopped himself so that he could study the figure at the mouth of the cave more carefully. It was almost as if he were looking at a strange negative image of himself. The speaker looked like him except that he was all white and he had glowing black and yellow eyes that were regarding him with a strange glint of hunger in them. He looked like he was almost glowing in contrast to the darkness of the cave opening that surrounded him.

"Well, that's a bit rude," his negative twin said as he chuckled to himself again, his eyes narrowing in to little slits. His tone of voice made it seem as though he were thoroughly amused at Isamu's reaction to him, but the expression on his face seemed to belie that impression. He looked as if he had an annoying bug to squash. "I thought we had better manners than that."

Isamu stared uncomprehendingly for a few moments at his doppelganger while he absorbed the sudden appearance of his twin in his dream world. All the while, the negative version of himself stared at him with the cold, unwavering patience of a snake as he waited for Isamu to respond. He made no move to come any closer to Isamu though, and remained at the edge of the cave's entrance.

"What do you want from me?" Isamu asked guardedly as he finally reclaimed his wits enough to formulate a question. He edged a little closer to his negative twin so that they wouldn't have to be shouting at each other because the wind had started to pick up and it was making it a little difficult for him to hear what was being said.

"Why… just to get to know you a little better, Isamu," he said smoothly, almost as if he couldn't believe that Isamu hadn't already realized that getting to know him better was what he wanted. His mouth quirked up into a lopsided grin, as he spread his arms wide open in a gesture of welcome. "What other reason could I possibly have to talk to you? I just want to reunite with the other half of myself."

"But why now?" Isamu asked as he took a few steps closer to the cave so that he could hear him better. The wind had picked up further and now little flurries of snow were beginning to obstruct his view of his pale twin inside of the cave. "I've been having these dreams for months now and I don't remember you in any of them. Where's the woman who's usually in my dreams? Do you know who she is?"

"Oh, she's not important Isamu," he replied in a reassuring tone, but Isamu noticed his eyes harden a bit at the mention of the woman from his dreams. Then suddenly, his angry look was gone and his hard expression was replaced by a much friendlier one. "But if you'll come and join me here I can explain everything to you… even how to finally get your Zanpakutou to finally respond to you. Isn't that why you're here in the first place?"

_Is that why I'm here? _Isamu wondered as he unconsciously took a few steps closer to the cave. He was almost to the entrance now and he was so lost in thought that he didn't notice the look of triumph flicker momentarily on the face of his other half. _I was upset and frustrated… Urahara was pushing me really hard and I couldn't stand not being able to do anything with my Zanpakutou and I wanted… I wanted…_

"Power," whispered his other self, impinging on Isamu's thoughts and causing him to realize that he was standing almost directly in front of the cave. His negative twin grinned sly at him as they stood facing each other. It was almost as if they were looking at each other in a mirror. Isamu found himself staring directly into the intense black and yellow eyes of his mirror image and he began to feel confused. He felt as if those yellow eyes seemed to be burning holes into his head. "You wanted more power to become stronger and better than everyone else - the power to defeat everyone, right?"

"No," Isamu replied shaking his head slowly back and forth as he tried to dispel the confusion and disorientation that had settled like a fog across his mind. He hadn't even realized that he had come this close to the cave and he felt unnerved that his body was busy doing things without him. It didn't help that the wind had whipped itself into a frenzy around him and he was practically blinded by the snow. "That's not what I wanted!"

"Sure it is, Isamu," he replied soothingly as he stretched out a hand towards Isamu. "You just don't know it yet."

Isamu felt his hand mirror his images movement and rise slowly in time with it. The wind howled around him and the snow stung as it battered him violently, but his hand continued its journey towards his negative twin's hand. Only a small space separated their fingertips and all Isamu had to do was lean forward…

"Isamu! No!"

Just as they had been about to touch something had grabbed his other hand and yanked him violently back. He tumbled backwards into the storm that raged around him and he fell flat on his back into the snow. He couldn't see clearly because of the blinding white snow which swirled all around him, but he briefly caught a glimpse of a familiar white gown made of snow and ice and a small, pale hand reached down to gently cup his cheek. He expected that delicate hand to be as cold as the snow around him, but it was strangely warm and comforting. He still couldn't make out the features of his savior even though her face must have been only a couple feet away, but now he could at least hear her voice.

"Not yet, Isamu," she said as she gently stroked his cheek. Her voice sounded like some kind of instrument made out of crystal and it chimed musically in his head as she spoke. "You need to find me first and hear my name before you can face that part of you. You also need to find your little…"

Isamu felt her hand leave his cheek and the last part of her words were snatched away by the wind which was howling around him now. He lay in the cold white blizzard and felt his eyes grow heavy as he lapsed into unconsciousness.

* * *

_Thanks for reading and reviewing!_

_The second half of this chapter is up so please continue on and enjoy.  
_


	5. Chapter 5: Reflections Part II

_Thanks for your patience! Here is the continuation of Chapter 4. You may want to start at the beginning because I did make a few edits to my previous chapters so you may want to check them out._

_Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach!  
_

* * *

**Chapter 5: Reflections Part II**

Masumi sat cross-legged in the sunny gardens of the Kuchiki manor with her eyes closed. She was trying to meditate and commune with her Zanpakutou, but her mind kept jumping at every little distraction that came her way. A hell butterfly would flitter to close and tickle her ear; or the sweat running down her face would make her uncomfortable; or she'd just get impatient with how long this process seemed to be taking and lose her concentration all together.

"Masumi," Byakuya Oji-sama chided her gently from his seat on the veranda overlooking the gardens. "You need to stop fidgeting so much and just concentrate on getting in touch with yourself. Once you do you will automatically find your way to your Zanpakutou."

"I'm trying, Byakuya Oji-sama," she whined as she wiped the sweat from her brow and shoved an unruly strand of her bright orange hair behind her ear. She caught the whining note that her voice held and cringed a little at her reaction. She shook her head, slapped her face with both her hands and let out a noisy breath. "I'm sorry, Byakuya Oji-sama, I don't mean to whine. I must be still feeling tired after last night."

"It is all right, Masumi," he replied calmly as his dark eyes regarded her carefully. She could tell that he was probably deciding to call it a day and she spoke quickly before he could tell her it was time to stop.

"I think I've almost got it, Byakuya Oji-sama. Could I please give it one more try?" she begged as she gave him her best puppy dog face.

When her uncle sighed and closed his eyes Masumi knew that she had won.

"Alright, Masumi, one more try, but then I think you should come in for lunch and I have to report to the Squad 6 barracks," he replied as Masumi's face broke out with a dazzling smile before he even got to finish his sentence.

"Thank you, Byakuya Oji-sama!" she said joyfully as she promptly closed her eyes so that she could concentrate.

She took a slow deep breath as she slowly focused her mind and tried to erase the world around her one step at a time. When she usually did this she would normally fail miserably because she would always get distracted by a rock poking on her leg or even the sound of the wind rustling the leaves in the garden, but this time she managed to block it all and think about absolutely nothing.

Once Masumi achieved this state time seemed to be suspended in her peaceful cocoon. She could have been sitting in her family's garden for only minutes or even days and she would not have been able to tell because she felt as if she were floating in a tranquil pool of nothing. Suddenly, the peace around her was suddenly shattered by the worried, anguished cry of a woman with a voice like wind chimes.

"Isamu! No!"

_Isamu? Who in the world is that? _Masumi wondered as she was suddenly sucked out of her peaceful space and thrust into a whirling world of blinding white. She tumbled into this world and landed hard on all fours onto a snowy field. She thought that this was the same place from her dream that she had the night before, but she couldn't be sure because of the violent storm that was blocking her vision. Slowly, the storm that was raging began to subside a little, and soon it cleared enough to allow Masumi to see the owner of the voice that had shattered her peaceful meditation.

_It's the woman in white… _Masumi realized as the snow storm calmed further. Masumi watched from all fours as the woman slowly stood from where she had been kneeling in the snow. Next to her there was an impression on the ground – almost as if someone had been lying there just moments before. The woman turned to look at her and Masumi could make out shoulder length silvery hair and a snowy gown that seemed to be made up of interlocking snowflakes. It looked very familiar and it took Masumi only a moment more to realize that it was the same pattern that linked the chain of her necklace together. She tried to look into the face of the woman, but the snow swirled and all she could catch a glimpse of was her faint, slightly sad looking smile.

"Masumi," her voice chimed delicately in her ear. For some reason Masumi found that voice extremely comforting and familiar even though she was certain that she had never heard it before. "I've been waiting to see you for such a long time."

"Who are you?" Masumi asked as she slowly stood up to face the figure standing in the snow. Once Masumi was completely standing she realized that the figure was smaller than the average adult. She was still a bit taller than Masumi, who had always been short for her age, but she could tell by the aura of power and knowledge that seemed to surround her that this person, although small, was not a child like she was.

"Are you my Zanpakutou?" Masumi asked hurriedly as she realized that maybe her ability to finally lose herself in meditation had finally brought her to her long awaited meeting with the one power she could never access. She felt more words about to tumble out of her lips as she stumbled forward towards the woman, but she stopped when the woman in white raised her hand to stop her.

"You need to find your ……. before you can find me and hear my name, Masumi," she said quietly as the wind began to pick up and the snow began to swirl around her. "Only when you find ….. will both of you finally be able to join with me."

"I don't understand!" Masumi cried out desperately as she resumed her struggles towards her Zapakutou's spirit. The snow was now completely surrounding the woman and Masumi could no longer make out her form in the cocoon of whirling snow that surrounded her. "I couldn't hear all of it! I don't understand who I'm supposed to find?!?"

Then Masumi blinked and in an instant the woman was gone. She stood alone in the stark white field with nothing but the feel of the cold snow around her and her icy breath sending little clouds up into the air. She collapsed on her knees and cried as her bitter frustration and disappointment at being left alone again in this place welled up inside of her. Just as she was about to scream her feelings to the clear blue sky above she felt a gentle breeze blow by her face and thought that she felt a comforting hand caress her cheek.

"Ask your Uncle," the wind whispered before it finally disappeared.

__________________

"Masumi!"

Byakuya Kuchiki was in a state of absolute panic. You would never be able to tell by his facial expression, but his voice trembled just a bit as he used shunpo to get quickly to his little niece's side before she could completely fall to the ground in the gardens. He caught her just before her head hit the hard ground beneath her.

"Masumi," he repeated as he shook her in an effort to wake her from unconsciousness. Byakuya did not understand what could have happened. One moment she had been concentrating on meditating and the next he had felt her reiatsu suddenly plummet for no reason. Even now he could feel her reiatsu pulsing weakly in her body, but it was so faint that he was afraid that she was about to die on him.

_Why is this happening, _he thought as he quickly lifted her up in his arms and used shunpo to quickly make his way to Squad 4's barracks where he could get Captain Unohana to take care of her immediately.

__________________

Masumi stood numbly in the peaceful snow in a state of complete bewilderment. She was absolutely sure that the wind had told her to ask Byakuya Oji-sama about whom she was supposed to be looking for, but it didn't seem to make sense to her. The more she thought about it, the more confused she became.

_How could Byakuya-Oji-sama, possibly know anything about who my Zanpakutou wants me to find, _she wondered. _Why would he know anything about what my Zanpakutou would want? Besides, I've never heard of anyone ever needing another person to get in touch with their Zanpakutou before._

She finally blew a strand of her unruly orange hair out of her face and took a good look around and finally began to worry about why she was still here. She was all alone, and unlike her dream she hadn't been instantly transported back home once everyone had disappeared.

_Maybe if I just try to meditate again I'll get back to where I belong, _Masumi thought as she bent down and tried to clear a comfortable space for herself in the snow. Luckily the patch of snow she had been standing in wasn't too deep so she was able to clear a small circle around herself fairly quickly. She sat down cross legged and closed her eyes in an effort to concentrate and return to that place of absolute peace she had been before she had been sucked into her Zanpakutou's world. It seemed like an easy solution to her, but the problem was that unlike her dream she was actually feeling very cold and wet and the ground was very hard and uncomfortable. No matter how hard she tried her mind kept being drawn back to her body's discomfort.

"I can't concentrate like this," she muttered to herself as she finally gave up and started to rub her hands together. She was surprised that even though she felt cold and miserable she wasn't shivering or feeling the negative effects of being exposed to the cold for so long.

_I guess it must be because this isn't the real world, _she thought as she stood up and dusted herself off. _I guess since this isn't working I should try to walk around and see if I can find another way out of here._

_________________________________

Byakuya Kuchiki waited anxiously by Captain Unohana as she placed her gentle hands on Masumi's forehead in one of the Squad 4's private examining rooms. She was carefully studying Masumi's face as she tried to determine what was wrong with her.

"You say that she just collapsed suddenly in the middle of training?" Captain Unohana asked as she continued her examination. She placed both of her hands on Masumi's temple and closed her eyes. "Was she doing anything that would cause her to collapse?"

"No," Byakuya replied tightly as his fists clenched in frustration and worry. "She was only meditating and trying to get in touch with her Zanpakutou when her reiatsu suddenly dropped and she collapsed."

Captain Unohana removed her hands from Masumi and placed them carefully in her lap. Then she turned toward Byakuya and gave him her diagnosis.

"There is nothing physically wrong with her that I can sense," she informed him calmly as she looked up at him from the side of Masumi's bed, but despite her tone of voice Byakuya could see the concern in her eyes. "The best answer that I can give you is that it seems that Masumi's 'self' has just left her body temporarily and is somewhere else. This should be no problem as long as she returns to her body soon, but if she doesn't return soon her body will begin to deteriorate with no life force to animate it."

"Is there no way to simply bring her back from where ever it is that she has gone?" Byakuya snapped anxiously at Captain Unohana.

"I've been trying to call her back with my powers, but where ever she is right now she is unable to hear us," she replied as she shook her head sadly. "I'm afraid that right now we will just have to wait for her to find her way back."

"That is unacceptable," he responded angrily as he glared fiercely at her. "I will not wait and do nothing while she could possibly die. There must be another way."

Captain Unohana faced his angry glare with unflappable calm and then she calmly stood up and motioned for Byakuya to sit down next to Masumi. Byakuya felt a little confused at her actions, but he sat down next to Masumi and waited for her to explain what she was doing.

"Talk to her," she simply said as she made her way to the door so she could give the reserved Captain to talk privately to his beloved niece. "Give her something to help her find her way back."

* * *

_Thanks again for reading! Reviews are always appreciated!_

_I will hopefully get the next chapter out sooner and although I know I keep saying that, hopefully this month it will actually be true._


	6. Chapter 6: Meeting

Hello everybody! Sorry that it's taken me so long to upload my next chapter, but life has just gotten busy, busy, busy with baby around!

Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Meeting**

Masumi paused and stared aimlessly around for a few moments because she had absolutely no idea which way she should go. Everything in her Zanpakutou's world looked basically the same. It was just endless hills of snow with a few sparse trees here and there to break the monotony of the landscape around her. There wasn't even a sun in the sky for her to use to help her get her bearings. It was just a shockingly clear, brilliant blue ceiling above an endless white landscape that seemed to be lit by some unknown source.

_I'm not going to get home any faster if I just stand here so I guess I should just start walking_, she thought with a sigh as she brushed her unruly orange hair back from her face. She braided her hair every morning to keep it out of her way while she trained, but her bangs never failed to escape from her efforts and wind up in her face. She looked around one last time and decided to head in what she thought might be the most promising route for her to take. While she walked she turned her Zanpakutou's words over and over in her mind, but no matter how hard she tried to think of an answer she didn't have enough information to come to any conclusion.

_I know that most Shinigami have to go through rigorous training before they are even able to materialize their own Zanpakutou, _she thought as she pressed on through the snow, _but I've had my mother's one since birth, and from what I understand from Byakuya Oji-sama I'm supposed to be able to use it as my own._

Masumi knew that she was the only one who carried a piece of another Shinigami's Zanpakutou with them in any way, and she knew that to some it seemed like she had an advantage because it seemed like she got to skip a step, but she knew, after many, many hours of training, that none of the traditional training techniques ever brought her any closer to changing her pendant into a weapon. It would always remain a very special, but utterly useless memento in battle. After each failed attempt she would always question Byakuya Oji-sama about it again, and she always hoped he would give her a really good answer, but he inevitably gave her the same response every time she asked.

"_It is a special gift that your mother left you because she knew that she would not be here to take care of you. When the time is right you will be able to use it as your mother intended," _he would always say it with utter calm, but there would always be a flicker of pain in his serious dark grey eyes. _ "Just remember that she loved you so much that she left a piece of her heart and soul with you to protect and guide you, and it will when the time is right."_

_I could tell that Byakuya Oji-sama was telling me the truth, _Masumi reflected quietly as she remembered his words, _but I've always felt that there was something he was holding back, but I never wanted to press him to hard about it because I can tell talking about my mother still causes him pain. Could this be what my Zanpakutou's spirit is talking about? Am I supposed to ask him more questions about my mother?_

As Masumi reflected on the meaning of her Zanpakutou's words, she unconsciously reached her hand up to finger the eight pointed star pendant that her mother had left her. Her fingertips reflexively felt for the pendant at her throat and she was unpleasantly surprised to find that it was no longer there. She stopped instantly and started to look frantically around the snow covered ground for it, her hands digging deep into the snow surrounding her. When the search of her immediate area turned up empty, she doubled back over her tracks all the way to the place she started. She manically dug through the snow around there for several minutes before she calmed down enough to really think things through.

_Where could it have gone? _Masumi thought, her heart thumping a mile a minute from the panic that engulfed her. Masumi's mind raced through everything she had done today. _Okay, I know I was wearing it when I was in the garden training with Byakuya Oji-sama, and then while I was meditating I got sucked into this world, and…_

_My mind was sucked into here, _she repeated as she paused in her crazed search. _That's right, my consciousness is here, but my body is probably still back in the garden at home. _

She felt herself become flooded with reliefonce she remembered that she really wasn't physically here. _My pendant must still be with my physical body. It's never been able to come off even when I've tried to take it off._

Masumi breathed a huge sigh and relaxed a little, but even though she felt confident that this explained why her pendant was missing she still felt a little unnerved by its absence. She had worn that pendant all her life and it always made her feel safe, as if a part of her mother really was always with her. She realized that she felt more naked without it than if she had actually been unclothed.

_Oh, well, _she thought as she turned and headed back in the direction she was originally headed, _at least I know it's not lost forever. It's probably a test of some sort to prove I'm worthy of my Zanpakutou. I guess I would need to find it here first before I could use its powers._

Feeling a little better with the idea that this was actually a test to earn the right to use her Zanpakutou, Masumi continued to trudge on through the snow, for what felt like miles, while her mind returned to her former dilemma about who her Zanpakutou wanted her to find. It seemed like no matter what she thought of the whole thing just didn't make any sense.

_This is getting me nowhere, _she finally concluded in exasperation as she tromped through a thick patch of snow. _I still have no idea who I'm supposed to be looking for and I seem to be going nowhere! I just wish that I could figure this all out!_

Just then she slipped on a particularly slick patch of icy snow and fell unceremoniously onto her butt. She let out a noisy, frustrated grunt as she got up from the cold, hard ground and dusted herself off.

"Actually, scratch that, I just wish I knew how to get out of here…," she muttered to herself as she rubbed her aching bottom. She looked up to the sky out of habit to try and figure out how long she'd been here, but remembered there was no sun in this place for her to judge the time. Although she had nothing to tell her how long she had been wandering in this world she was certain that it had to have been at least a few hours since she arrived and she began to be concerned that everyone back home would be getting really worried about her by now.

"Especially, Byakuya Oji-sama," she said quietly, her face tight with concern over how much he worried about her well being. "He must be feeling really upset that I haven't awoken yet."

When she started to straighten up, she noticed a dark shape in the snow a few feet away. She turned toward the oddity in the vast expanse of white snow that surrounded her and studied the shape intently. Masumi didn't think that there was any danger here in her Zanpakutou's world, and her natural curiosity and impulsive nature would have normally won out over her common sense, but she had quite a few shocks in the last few hours and that made her a little wary of what else might be in store for her today.

_I think it's just a rock,_ as she edged a little closer to try to get a better look at it. _It doesn't seem to be alive… _

Suddenly, the rock moaned and began to move! Masumi stifled a small cry as she scrambled back in surprise at the rock's sudden activity, but stopped short from running away as her natural curiosity finally over took any misgivings she might have had. She watched the rock's movements until it sat up and became a young boy about her age with unruly, spiky black hair. He had bits of snow stuck in his hair and on the back of his black shirt, but like her, he also didn't seem to be affected by the cold. Masumi found herself staring at him with intense scrutiny as he reached a hand up to rub the back of his neck. He turned his head a little as he massaged the kinks out of his neck and she was finally able to get a glimpse of his profile. She blinked in surprised recognition as a feeling of familiarity overcame her.

_I know him… I know I do. I. I feel like I've known him my entire life, but I don't recognize anything specific about him… I wonder if this could be the person my Zanpakutou told me to find._

Masumi tried to approach him quietly so that she wouldn't startle him, but her first step landed on another unseen patch of ice and it cracked loudly. She stared incredulously at her wayward feet which seemed determined to cause her trouble. She had only a moment to think about this because the instant she stepped on it the boy suddenly twisted around with cat-like agility and sprang to his feet to face her. Once she could see his entire face she was once again struck by the familiarity of his features.

He said something to her, but she didn't hear it because she suddenly noticed the stunning violet shade of his eyes.

_He has my mother's eyes, _she thought in stunned amazement. Her shock then instantly turned into hope that this might be who her Zanpakutou had asked her to find. _Maybe he's related to her somehow, which means that he's related to me. Maybe that's why we both ended up here!_

________________

Isamu opened his eyes and blinked slowly as he tried to clear his vision. It seemed unusually bright and it hurt to open his eyes at first, but as they adjusted he realized that he was staring into an unfamiliar clear blue sky. His body was wet, cold and stiff, and his mind felt cloudy and disorganized – almost as if he had been awoken abruptly after only an hour of sleep.

_Where am I? _

_How long have I been here?_

These questions come out all in a jumble in his mind, one question chasing right after the other, as he stared blearily into the startlingly clear blue of the sky above him. As he struggled to sit up, his body ached all over, it felt as if he had been beaten to a pulp and put back together - badly.

_It feels like I've been on the ground like this forever, _he thought as he finally managed to get his body upright. He reached his arm up stiffly and rubbed the back of his aching neck. As he stretched in an effort to get all the kinks out, the sound of crunching snow from his movements startled him enough to blow the last bit of fog out of mind. He finally took a good look at his surroundings and realized that he was still in the stark, snowy white world of his dreams. _Why am I still here? I remember the woman in white protecting me from my twin in the cave, but everything after that just sort of fades…_

CRACK!

Isamu whirled around instantly at the sound behind him. Despite his aches and pains his training kicked in immediately, and he instantly sprang back and turned to face the source of the noise so that he could confront the intruder head on. His first thought was that it was his negative version of himself coming back to tempt him again into following him, so he reached his hand over to his bracelet to summon his Zanpakutou with his touch. He touched his wrist and was unpleasantly surprised to realize that it wasn't there, so instead he held his hand up and mentally readied a spell, but he was brought up short when he finally got a good look at his opponent.

"Who are you?" he asked quietly as he straightened up from his defensive crouch and carefully studied the figure before him. It was a young girl, probably a year or two younger than him considering how short she was, with long bright orange hair carefully plaited into a braid that hung over her shoulder. She was dressed in something that resembled the shuhakusho that his father and the other Shinigami wore except it was white and gray with red trim instead of a solid black. She was studying him carefully with lively brown eyes set in a pretty face that looked naggingly familiar, although he was sure that he had never seen her before in his life. When he first glanced at her he thought that she had looked simply curious, but now she seemed to be staring at him with a hopeful expression. It was almost like she seemed to think she had finally found an answer to something.

"What are you doing here?" he asked a little more sharply when she didn't answer him right away and continued to simply stare at him. He didn't mean to sound so churlish, but her silence and intense stare was making him uncomfortable. Besides, he had almost been fooled by his negative self and her sudden appearance made him a little suspicious. Now that all of his attention was on her, he realized that maybe she looked so familiar because she had the exact same hair color as his father. This realization piqued his curiosity about her, but he decided to be cautious because it reinforced his initial suspicion that this was some kind of trick sent by his evil doppelganger.

"Don't worry I'm not going to hurt you," she replied soothingly, ignoring his sharp tone as she shoved an unruly strand of bright orange hair behind her ear. She had stopped a few feet away from him in an obvious effort on her part to keep from frightening him any further. It made him feel a little bit stupid to realize that he, Isamu Kurosaki, descendent of one of the strongest Shinigami families alive was cowering in front of a very little girl. Even though he knew that he was being completely rational by being on guard, he felt his face grow hot and red from embarrassment as she smiled reassuringly at him. She might have been just trying to seem friendly, but he felt like she was laughing at him for being wary of her. "I was trying to find my way out of my dream, but I somehow ended up finding you taking a nap in the snow. I'm sorry that I scared you."

"Scared me?!?" he asked her indignantly as he blinked in surprise. He was feeling even more embarrassed and defensive now because she thought that she had frightened him. Like his father, his pride was sorely stung at the thought that anyone would think that he was scared, especially a little girl who looked younger than him. "You didn't scare me! And what do you mean your dream? This is my dream world!"

"Oh, really?" she replied with a little frown on her face, but her eyes still seemed to be laughing at his indignant response. Although Isamu felt more than a little put out at her attitude, it still didn't stop his keen eyes from noticing that her eyes were also the exact same color as his father's. He couldn't remember his father's eyes ever looking so bright and mischievous, but the moment he had that thought the expression on her face instantly sobered as she spoke next.

"Well, I'm sorry about that, but I don't understand what you mean about this being your dream. I was trying to communicate with my Zanpakutou and I think I found her, but she told me that I had to find someone first before she could work with me. I was kind of hoping that the person I needed to find was you."

Isamu felt himself go still as the girl's words triggered his memory of the woman in white's parting words before he lost consciousness.

"_You need to find me and hear my name first before you can face that part of you. You also need to find your little…"_

Isamu's mind grabbed bits of information from everything that he could remember from today and from his previous dreams. He tried to make sense of it objectively, but his earlier experiences still tainted his thoughts with a bit of wariness and suspicion. It seemed just a bit too convenient that the woman in white would mention needing to find someone or something, and then another person would suddenly turn up looking for him.

_Finding her and learning her name makes sense if it turns out that the woman in white might be my Zanpakutou…, but what if this Zanpakutou this girl is talking about is the woman in white? We're both in the same place… _Isamu wondered as he tried to piece everything that was happening together. _Two people can't have the same Zanpakutou so she's either mistaken or this is a trap…_

"What did your Zanpakutou look like?" Isamu finally asked, deciding that he should be sure that they were even thinking about the same person before he started jumping to conclusions.

The girl's eyes lit up again with a look of hope as she thought about her answer. "Well… she was dressed in a really beautiful white gown that looked like it was made of snow and ice, and she's small and very delicate looking, but she seemed like she was really wise. She also seemed to be sad about something because even when she smiled it seemed like she wanted to cry…"

"You saw her smile?" Isamu whispered quietly, his mind reeling from the fact that this girl was obviously talking about the same woman in white from his dreams, and she had obviously seen her face while he hadn't even had a glimpse after months of dreaming about her. "What did her face look like?"

"I'm not really sure," the girl replied, she frowned as her eyes grew distant from her effort to remember. "I could only really see her smile and I couldn't hear everything she was saying, but I know people have told me that it happens that way sometimes when you're trying to find your Zanpakutou."

_So she hasn't seen her whole face either…, _Isamu thought with a tinge of disappointment. Even though he was still feeling a little suspicious about this whole situation, the thought of finding out what the woman in white looked like tempted him greatly. _I don't know why I need to know so badly, but I just do…_

"I'm Isamu," he finally said when he recovered from his disappointment. "What's your name?"

_Maybe if I know her name it will give me a clue as to what all of this means._

"Kuchiki," she said with a small smile as she tilted her head a little to the side, she seemed really encouraged by his response. "Masumi Kuchiki."

_Kuchiki…, Masumi KUCHIKI_

Isamu felt his breath catch in his chest as he finally realized why this girl looked so familiar to him. The name Kuchiki had finally made him realize the truth. It wasn't his father's orange hair or brown eyes that had triggered his convictions that he knew her – it was her face. Her face that now held the exact same expression that his mother had in his photo at home. It was a younger version of his mother's face that now smiled at him.

_My mother's maiden name before she married dad was Kuchiki…_

Isamu's mind whirled in confusion as he tried to reconcile what his eyes were seeing and what his brain was telling him.

_Maybe she's a cousin or related to my mom in some other way. _He thought as he stared at her, his face twisted with uncertainty. He tried to convince himself of this, but he knew that his mother had been adopted into the Kuchiki family and her only relation had been her sister who had died long ago. Besides, it wouldn't explain her bright orange hair or familiar brown eyes. Just then the final parting words of the woman in white rang in his head once more.

_You also need to find your little…_

Isamu's eyes widened as he suddenly put everything together. He looked back up at the girl with his mother's face and took in her hair and brown eyes, which were staring at him with curiosity over his sudden silence. His mind flashed back to the photo of his mother and father in his room and he could clearly see the melding of their features in this person standing before him.

_That's impossible… _he thought as all the pieces fell into place and his mind finally completed the puzzle. _This girl must be my younger sister…, but I don't understand how it could be because she looks younger than I am and I know my mother died right after I was born…_

"Hellooooo," the girl called out to him as she waved a hand in front of his face, he jerked his head back in surprise. Isamu had been so caught up in his thoughts that he didn't even realize that she had come this close to him. Her face was drawn in concern for him, and Isamu was sure that his face must look as sick as he was feeling right now. "Are you okay? You don't look so good."

Isamu could only shake his head violently back and forth as he stumbled away from her, his normally level headed personality thrown completely out the door from this shocking revelation.

_I have a sister… I have a sister…, _his mind kept chanting over and over again. _Why would everyone lie to me about it and have me believe that I was an only child?_

He couldn't believe that this person in front of him could really be his sister. He absolutely refused to because if he did it would turn his whole view of his world upside down. He was certain that his father would have said something to him; or his grandfather; or anyone from his family. They wouldn't have kept something like this a secret from him. They wouldn't have lied to him about his mother and her death. They wouldn't have kept something as important as this from him… or would they?

_They wouldn't have hidden this from me! _Isamu's mind cried out in confusion and anguish. Even as his mind tried to reject all these thoughts of betrayal and lies, a voice in the back of his head kept nagging at him. Whispering and whispering to him over and over that they lied to him about everything. He felt himself sway as he started to shake from his efforts to dispel that insidious voice in his head that kept insisting that everyone had lied to him – that maybe everything he knew might be a lie. _They wouldn't have lied to me about her – about Mom…_

"I'm sorry, did I say something wrong?" the girl called up to him as she reached her hand out to steady him. She looked worried and afraid that he was about to collapse. "I didn't mean to…"

"Shut up," Isamu whispered harshly, he was afraid that if he said it any louder he would start to scream. He watched her flinch at his words and the tone of his voice as she slowly let her hand fall back to her side. Her brown eyes reflected her hurt and confusion as she opened her mouth to say something else, but Isamu cut her off before she could utter another word. "You're lying! You are just making this crap up about your Zanpakutou! This is another one of that guy's tricks to mess with me!"

_That's it! _Isamu thought in a desperate search for something to quiet the nagging doubt in his mind. He hadn't actually meant to say that last part, but once he heard it come out of his mouth it seemed to make perfect sense. _It's another one of that evil guy's tricks! He must have heard the woman in white talking to me and made this whole thing up... Or I must have misheard her and he's taking advantage of it!_

"I don't understand what you're talking about!" She shouted at him in obvious confusion. The lost and confused expression on her face was replaced by one that reflected a mixture of pain and desperation. "Who is trying to mess with you? I'm just trying to …"

"Shut up!" Isamu shouted at her one more time, his voice cracking with his intense anger. He stumbled further away from her as he shook his finger at her and gestured wildly at her to get away. "Just leave! Get away from me!"

As soon as he shouted these words the snow suddenly swirled violently around them and Isamu had to lift his arm in front of his face to block the stinging flakes that whipped around him. When the sudden maelstrom died down, he lowered his arm and saw that the girl was gone. Just then he felt himself being yanked back into reality.

______________

The woman in white watched the two children in dismay as they both disappeared from her world back into theirs. She had prevented them from meeting each other at first, but after speaking with Masumi she had felt that this might be the time for them to finally meet.

_Once I finally saw her I grew impatient and didn't think this through well enough, _she thought with a sharp pang of regret for her actions. _I didn't think Isamu's inner Hollow could whisper so clearly to him after only one meeting._

She had led them to each other with a growing hope that this would be their first step towards learning the truth about themselves and her, but she had misjudged the effect that the interference from Isamu's inner Hollow had on him. She stared sadly at the space that they had occupied and hoped that their father and their uncle could bring them together in time before Isamu's inner Hollow gained complete control of him.

"It's too late," she heard Isamu's Hollow hiss quietly behind her. "He's mine and he doesn't even realize it yet."

"As long as I'm here you will never lay a finger on him," she replied calmly without even glancing behind her. Her words were confident but her delicate hands were balled into tight little fists at her sides. "You will stay in that dark pit until he's ready."

He gave a quiet, malicious chuckle at her words.

"Brave words, but he has started to choose me over you," he whispered evilly into her ear. "And now that your little plan has backfired, I'm sure that I will be seeing him again – soon."

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope to have the next chapter out sooner than this one. Thanks to A. Amishi for beta-reading for me, it was really a big help.^^

Reviews are always greatly appreciated!


	7. Chapter 7: Return

Thanks for your patience! I hope you enjoy this next chapter!

Reviews are always appreciated!

Disclaimer: I would love to own Bleach, but unfortunately it's still not mine!^^

* * *

**Chapter 7: Return**

Byakuya Kuchiki sat stiffly next to his niece's still body while Captain Unohana was still in the room, uncomfortable with the thought of showing a softer side of himself with a witness there. He listened tensely for the quiet click of the door closing behind her, and once he felt sure that he was alone he reached his hand out slowly to grasp Masumi's much smaller one in his. He could feel his hands trembling slightly as he reached across the small space that separated them, but it was the only sign that showed how worried and upset he was at these turn of events, his face and the rest of his body betrayed none of the inner turmoil going on inside of him.

"Masumi…," he said softly as his hand squeezed hers tightly, it felt so cold and limp that it seemed as if she was already dead. He stopped breathing for a moment as he waited for her to respond to him, but as the seconds slowly ticked by, she remained silent and unmoving. Byakuya felt his spirit deflate as he let out a harsh sigh of disappointment. He had not realized how much he had hoped for her to simply awaken from his touch and the sound of his voice until he failed. His heart began to pound with fear as doubt began to creep insidiously into his heart.

People that he loved and cared for seemed to slip through his grasp no matter how hard he tried to hold on to them. He had lost his parents when he was still very young, and even though that had been something out of his control, it seemed that it had been the start of a recurring pattern in his life. Hisana had died after only five short, happy years of marriage from the unrelenting disease that had ravaged her body. Even though he had loved her intensely and had gotten her the best care that his wealth and status could provide, it had still been not enough to save her and he was suddenly alone once again. Then Rukia had entered his life and although he had resisted at first, he had grown to love her as a true sister, but - in the end - she had also died and her death was the fault of his own arrogance and stubbornness. With all of these memories returning, his fear and doubt began to grow rapidly in the depths of his soul, and he felt himself being eaten away with uncertainty, but just when he felt as if he would be consumed by his fears, Rukia's pale determined face suddenly flashed in his mind.

"_Promise me you'll help Ichigo take care of Isamu and Masumi…"_

"_You've always been there to save me…I know you can do the same for them…"_

"_Please, Nii-sama, promise me."_

The memory hit him hard and shattered the building doubts that were gathering and creating a solid wall of despair. He could feel Rukia's violet eyes boring into him and hear her voice ringing clearly in his mind as he remembered the words that she had spoken to him just before she died. Her words had been filled with an unshakable conviction that Byakuya would be able to take good care of the two most precious things in her life. Her entire being had reflected that she had no doubt that Byakuya would be able to keep his promise to her, so he could not allow himself the luxury of being insecure and afraid. He pulled himself together and strengthened his resolve. As he tightened his grip on Masumi's hand and looked down into her face he heard Rukia's final words to him whisper through his mind.

"_Thank you, Nii-sama. I know you will be the best uncle they could ever wish for."_

_I will not lose Masumi, _he thought fiercely to himself as his hand convulsed around hers more tightly, he closed his eyes and began to gather his reiatsu. As his power began to build, a white light surrounded him and his long black hair began to move fluidly around him. With all of his heart, he sent a cry out to Masumi's lost soul and searched with all of his being for any sign of her. _I will bring her safely back home to herself – back home to me. I will justify your faith in me, Rukia, and I will not lose her._

______________

Masumi felt lost and afraid as she once again floated in a sea of darkness. It was similar to the place she had gone to before she had been thrust into her Zanpakutou's world, but what had once seemed like a safe cocoon of peace and tranquility was now a terrifying endless black emptiness that offered her no comfort. She didn't know if the change was because she had been shoved into this place abruptly by Isamu's anger or because her emotions were in turmoil over the events that had just happened, but whatever the reason, she was once again lost and alone with no idea how to return home.

_I don't understand! _

These three words were the only thing that echoed again and again through her mind as tears flowed freely from her eyes. The pain of Isamu's rejection and the disappointment at her failure to get any answers flooded her entire body. She buried her face into her knees and wrapped her arms tightly around them in an effort to stifle the emotions coursing through her. She could feel herself trembling violently, and she felt as if she were trying to keep herself from shaking to pieces with just her arms. Time seemed to have no meaning at the moment, and she had no idea how long she remained frozen that way while she floated in her dark, lonely world of pain - a captive to her wild emotions - but slowly, she began to calm down enough to be able to think again.

_I was feeling hopeful because I thought that boy – Isamu - recognized me. I was so sure that he was the one I needed to find and that I'd soon have answers , but he turned all pale after a little while and started accusing me of lying to him! Why did he seem to hate me so much all of a sudden?_

Masumi felt herself sink once more into a pool of pain and bewilderment as she remembered Isamu's accusing eyes. His face had turned into such a mask of intense hatred when he ordered her to leave that Masumi had felt as if he had knocked her out of her Zanpakutou's world with a physical blow. In all her life, she had never encountered anyone who had ever looked at her with such utter loathing before, and she felt Isamu's absolute rejection of her more keenly because she had never had any prior experience with it. Her uncle had always kept her safe, and she had always been surrounded by people who loved and cared about her, so Isamu's response to her left her feeling badly shaken. It was especially hurtful because she didn't think that anything she had said or done had been deserving of his words or actions.

_I was really beginning to like him too. I was sure that I felt a connection to him, but… but…_

Masumi rocked her body back and forth in the darkness in a failed effort to comfort herself. She wished for nothing more than for this to be a really bad dream that she could laugh off once she awoke.

"I just want to go home," she whispered brokenly as she loosened her death grip around her knees and brought her hands to her face. While she continued to sob quietly in the inky blackness, she rubbed her face roughly, it was almost as if she were trying to erase the last few hours from her mind with her hands. "I just want to go home… Byakuya Oji-sama… please… I just want to go home."

Just then she felt warmth at her side and a gentle light seeped through her fingers and pressed against the closed lids of her eyes. After floating in the cold darkness for so long, the sudden warmth was enough to startle her from her tears. She wiped her eyes once more with the back of her hands and uncurled from her fetal position to see what was going on.

_Masumi…_

The light called her name, and even as upset as she was, Masumi could tell that its voice was filled with so many things – worry, desperation, concern, love. It was finally enough to get her to open her eyes completely and look in its direction. The light blinded her for a moment as her swollen eyes tried to adjust to the sudden brightness and warmth that surrounded her.

_Masumi…_

"Byakuya Oji-sama…," she said quietly as she recognized the energy surrounding her. With relief and growing joy, she began to feel whole again as she was able to reconnect with the one person who she could always rely on. She reached her hand out toward the light that now began to surround her and stretched her being towards him like a flower seeking the light of the sun. She thought that she felt his hand grasp hers and, suddenly, her body began to fly quickly, but gently forward. There was a brilliant flash of light that momentarily blinded her, and when she finally opened her eyes she found herself staring gratefully into the worried face of her beloved uncle.

____________________

_Masumi where are you? _Byakuya thought with desperation as he once again lost the faint thread of her reiatsu. His concern for his niece's well being increased every time he lost track of her reiatsu because whenever he would finally find it again it would seem weaker than before. Something terrible must be happening to her for it to be fading so rapidly. _ Hang on, Masumi. I am coming for you._

His anxiety increased as his search for her reiatsu took longer and longer. He felt as if he were looking for a single snowflake in a snowstorm as he sifted through other people's reiatsu and searched desperately for his niece's presence. He lost her reiatsu for what seemed like the hundredth time and was about despair that he would never find her when he heard her cry out to him with a voice that was no louder than a choked whisper.

"… _Byakuya Oji-sama…"_

"Masumi," he called out in relief as he turned towards the direction that her voice seemed to come from. He felt her reiatsu strengthen in response to his voice and he reached out towards her direction, sending his reiatsu towards her to give her strength and lead her home. "Masumi!"

"_Byakuya Oji-sama…"_

He heard her relieved response to his presence and felt her reiatsu grow stronger as it came closer to him. He breathed a sigh of relief and guided her back to her body in Squad 4's barracks and once they were back he opened his eyes in time to see her eyes open. He opened his mouth to inquire how she was, but right after her eyes opened, they over flowed with tears and she flung herself towards him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck. He stiffened for a second, uncomfortable from this sudden display of emotion, but relaxed after a moment and awkwardly reached an arm around her. While he tentatively patted her back he could hear her sobbing his name repeatedly into his shoulder. He was relieved that she was alright, but he was concerned about how over wrought she was.

"Masumi… what is the matter? What happened? "

He gently tried to pry her away from his shoulder so that he could look into her face while he asked her his questions, but she simply shook her head and clung more desperately to him while she cried even harder. Eventually he stopped trying to get her to answer his questions and gently held her until she cried herself out. Her body grew heavy in his arms and he realized that she had lapsed into an exhausted sleep. He loosened her arms from around his neck and placed her softly back into the bed and then tucked her under the blankets. He would have to wait to find out what had upset her so much, but once she was awake he would find out so that he could make sure that it would never happen again.

____________

Ichigo sat at a low brown table in the living area of Kisuke Urahara's shop. He had just finished saying hello to Yuzu who had showed him in, and was now alone with Urahara who had called him and asked him to come over right away. When Ichigo got the call he instantly started to worry that something bad had happened to Isamu, so he had immediately started demanding details from Urahara over the phone, but Urahara insisted that he needed to come over first before he could explain. Even though Urahara hadn't given him any specific reasons why he needed to hurry over, Ichigo had a sinking suspicion as to what Urahara might be calling him so urgently about, so he had excused himself from his meeting and rushed right over.

"Well, out with it already, Urahara," Ichigo snapped impatiently when Urahara failed to say anything for several minutes. He had come in quietly, sat down and stared quietly at Ichigo from under his hat with a serious, unhappy frown on his face. "I already know this has something to do with Isamu, and you're driving me nuts by not telling me if hes ok or not, so just can the silent treatment and tell me what the hell is going on."

"Ichigo…," Urahara began as he unfurled his arms from the front of his chest and leaned towards him. "How much have you told Isamu about the past? I know that I've been telling you for the past few months now that he needs to learn the truth so that he could begin understand his powers more, but I've never heard anything from you or Isamu about the matter."

Ichigo blanched a little at the question and scratched the back of his head nervously while he thought of his answer. He had resolved to finally explain everything to Isamu before they went to bed today, but he knew that he probably should have spoken to him about it sooner. With Urahara's sharp gaze boring into him, he realized that his hesitation had more to do with his own cowardice rather than any parental concerns for his son. He had been afraid that he would lose Isamu when he learned the truth about what happened the night his mother died. The fear of losing another member of his family had made him hesitate and from the look on Urahara's face, it might be too late to fix his mistake.

"I see…," Urahara said, correctly reading Ichigo's silence. His frown deepened as he lapsed back into silence for a moment.

"I was going to talk to him about it today," Ichigo replied quietly as he looked away from Urahara, his shame making him unable to look him in the face. "I know I should have told him earlier, but I just didn't know what to say."

"You need to tell him now, Ichigo," Urahara said as he leaned back and re-crossed his arms in front of his chest. He looked more severe and grim than Ichigo could ever remember. "His inner Hollow came out while we were training today. It was only because I was able to knock him out quickly that he wasn't completely taken over by it."

"What!?" Ichigo shouted as he lurched forward in shock and slammed his hands against the table, his concern for his son eclipsing any other emotions. "What do you mean his inner Hollow almost took him over!?! He's only ten! It's just not possible."

"I assure you, Ichigo, that is what happened," Urahara replied calmly as he eyed Ichigo coolly from across the table. "I could also tell, from monitoring his reiatsu levels after he was unconscious, that he was communing with his Zanpakutou. For some reason, while this was happening his reiatsu levels spiked and the feeling of it began to change. I swear it was almost as if…"

"Almost as if… what?" Ichigo snapped when Urahara trailed off, he now seemed to be thinking really hard about something. "What do you think happened?"

"No… it's just a theory, but I have to get some more information from the Soul Society before I can tell you anymore," he said as he rubbed his chin thoughtfully with his fingers. "In the mean time, you need to tell Isamu the truth or else I will. He needs to know what's happening, but I think he'd take it a lot better if you told him... Wouldn't you agree, Ichigo?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer, but at that moment they heard Tessai calling them from the room across the hallway.

"Tenchou! Kurosaki-dono! Young Isamu is awake now."

Ichigo stood up and headed towards the sliding doors to go check on Isamu. He paused for a moment before he left and spoke to Urahara.

"Don't worry, Urahara," he said quietly with his hand on the door. He glanced at Urahara who was still sitting quietly and staring sightlessly at the table, he seemed to be still pondering about the situation. "I know that I have to tell him and I will. I'll make sure that he understands everything."

Then Ichigo walked out and slid the door closed behind him, as he headed across the hall to the room that Isamu was in he thought that he heard Urahara say something, but it was so soft that Ichigo wasn't sure if he just imagined it.

________________

Isamu felt strangely warm as he swam up from the depths of unconsciousness. It wasn't an unpleasant feeling, but after his long exposure to the icy world of his dreams it felt odd to be so warm again. He stretched and found that his arms and legs seemed to be pinned down by something really heavy.

_What's going on….why can't I move?_

Isamu tried to force his heavy lids open, but he failed miserably with his first few attempts, meanwhile it felt like the weight on his body was getting heavier and heavier. He finally managed to open his eyes a crack and was confused at the blurry image his eyes transmitted to his brain, but he blinked a couple of times and was finally able to focus on the thing that was pinning him to the floor.

"AHHHHHHHHH! What the heck?!?" Isamu screamed as he realized that he was nose to nose with Tessai who was lying practically on top of him. "Too close! Too close! Too close! Get off of me, Tessai-san!"

"Hmmmm… an excellent reaction," Tessai responded calmly, he remained nose to nose with Isamu despite the latter's frantic efforts to push the much larger man off of him. Tessai pushed himself up a little and turned his head towards the nearby sliding doors. "Tenchou! Kurosaki-dono! Young Isamu is awake now."

Isamu gave a loud grunt as he strained to push the mountain of a man off of him, but just when it seemed like he was going to be stuck under Tessai forever, the large man suddenly went flying off of him and crashed into a nearby wall. He landed in an awkward, tangled heap on the floor, but even in that strange position his expression remained calm and unperturbed.

"What's with you, Tessai?" Ichigo Kurosaki snapped angrily, he was glowering harder than usual as he sat down next to Isamu. Apparently, his father must have been the one who sent Tessai flying. "Why are you still doing that crap? I already told you that it doesn't help heal anyone any faster."

"I beg to differ, Kurosaki-dono," Tessai replied from his uncomfortable looking position on the floor. Isamu stared at him and wondered briefly why he stayed like that instead of getting up like a normal person would. "I find that it speeds the healing. Even you have to admit that it worked wonders for you before."

Isamu looked back at his father and could practically see the vein pulsing in his father's forehead as he listened to Tessai's words. You could tell by his expression that he was probably reliving every single one of those unpleasant encounters.

"Would you just shut up about it already!" his father growled angrily at Tessai, he then purposefully turned his head to look down at Isamu, his face etched with concern. "How are you feeling? It seems like you took a really nasty hit to your head."

Isamu didn't answer his father's inquiry right away as he sat up unsteadily from the futon he was lying on. His father's words and his movement made him realize that he ached all over, especially his head which felt like someone was rhythmically pounding it with a baseball bat. He reached his hand up to gingerly rub the bandaged bump on the back of his head, and tried to piece himself back together after such a rude awakening.

"Isamu… are you alright?" Ichigo asked once more when Isamu failed to respond after a couple of minutes.

Isamu lowered his hand and lifted his head to answer his father, but just then, a glint of light caught his eye and he looked on his wrist to see that his bracelet was once again attached to his wrist. Once he saw his bracelet the memories from his dream came flooding back to him, and he felt a wrench of pain in his chest that had nothing to do with any of his injuries.

"Dad…," he whispered as he stared determinedly at his hands which were now resting in his lap. "Who is Masumi?"

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope to get these chapters out a little quicker, but it all depends on baby.^^

Thanks also to all of you who reviewed and again to my Beta Reader, .


	8. Chapter 8: Truth

Thanks for waiting! Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Bleach is still not mine!

* * *

**Chapter 8: Truth**

Isamu was vaguely aware of Tessai leaping up from the floor and excusing himself from the room after he asked his father his question. He appreciated Tessai's prudence, but with the way he was feeling right now, he probably wouldn't have cared if he stayed and heard everything.

Isamu waited anxiously, for what felt like an eternity, for his father's answer, but he didn't say a word even after Tessai left. He finally raised his head, which was heavy from the burden of all his recently accumulated knowledge, so that he could see why it was taking his father so long to answer him. When his eyes finally met his father's, Isamu was taken aback by the curiously blank expression that he wore. He thought his father might have looked confused, shocked, or maybe even worried, but instead he looked as if someone had wiped his face clean of any emotion.

"Dad," Isamu repeated after several more seconds went by, and his father continued to stare at him with his expressionless eyes. He was starting to make Isamu nervous with his lack of emotion because if there was one thing that Ichigo Kurosaki was not, it was unemotional. "Answer me, please Dad… Who is Masumi Kuchiki?"

His father swallowed audibly as his eyes cleared and he finally seemed able to focus on him. Emotions started to flicker across his face much too quickly for Isamu to read, it was like watching a torrent of water rushing down after bursting through a dam, but finally, the rush of emotions subsided and his face settled on a look of guilt and anxious worry. He reached out and gently gripped Isamu's shoulders with hands that were trembling so hard that he was afraid that his father would fly to pieces.

"Where did you learn that name, Isamu?" Ichigo asked, his voice was nothing more than a hoarse whisper. If Isamu didn't know better, he could swear that it almost sounded like his father was swallowing back tears. "Who told you about Masumi? Was it Urahara…? Or Tessai….? Who was it…?"

"No one told me, Dad," Isamu replied, his voice was starting to tremble a little as he realized that his father was pretty much confirming his suspicions with his reactions to his question. The whispers that clouded his mind in his Zanpakutou's world once again rose, and they clouded his heart and mind with anger and uncertainty. His body also began to tremble as the feelings of betrayal from his dream started to return in full force. It seemed like everything he'd learned during his dream was true. "I met her in my dream after I passed out during my training."

"After you passed ou…," his father began to repeat in a voice that sounded surprised, but before he could go on, Isamu cut him off by knocking his father's hands away from him as his anger boiled over. Ichigo instantly froze with a stunned expression on his face. He seemed completely caught off guard by Isamu's wild emotional response.

"You lied to me, didn't you, Dad? I can tell by your words - by your face even - that you knew about her all along," Isamu shot accusingly at Ichigo as tears of anger began to form and spill down his cheeks. He brushed them away roughly as he continued his tirade. "Why did you hide her from me and let me think that I was an only child? Did everyone know about her except me? Why couldn't you trust me with the truth?"

"It's not like that, Isamu," his father began as he tried to reach out to him once more, but Isamu was too worked up to listen to anything his father might have to say. There was a small voice in the back of Isamu's head that kept trying to tell him that he was being irrational about this whole thing, and that there must be a good reason why no one ever told him the truth, but it was drowned out by a much louder voice that kept repeating that he had been betrayed by everyone and that there was no one he could trust.

"Then what was it like, Dad?" Isamu spat out as his tears continued to fall like rain from his cheeks. His anger was to a point where it felt like he couldn't even think anymore. "Why would you … all of you lie to me about having a younger sister? Did you lie to me about Mom too, Dad?!? Did she really die?!? Or did she just abandon us and you didn't want to tell me?!?"

"**STOP IT, ISAMU! THAT'S ENOUGH!"**

Isamu's eyes widened in shock as his father's voice roared at him, and his hands grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and shook him hard. He could never remember a time in his life when his father had ever yelled at him that way or used such force with him.

"I won't let you talk about your mother that way," his father continued angrily as he gripped Isamu's shoulder painfully tight, his eyes were bright, not only with anger, but also with extreme pain. "She would have never abandoned you, and she risked everything… **everything**…. to have you and your sister, so I want you to stop right there and listen to me."

His father's words completely snapped him out of his belligerent mood, while the intensity of his father's eyes seemed to burn away the haze of pain and confusion that had settled over him ever since he learned about his sister.

_What am I doing… what am I saying? What's wrong with me?_

"I-I'm sorry, Dad…," he stammered out as he wiped his face with his hands. He felt his father loosen his death grip on his shoulders and they began to tingle as blood rushed back into them. "I… I didn't mean it… I just don't know what came over me…"

"No… I'm sorry too," his dad replied with a heavy sigh as he pulled Isamu close to him so that he could hug him tightly. "This is my fault… I should have told you the truth sooner instead of waiting so long."

______________

Ichigo Kurosaki clutched his son tightly to him, immensely relieved that he had finally calmed down and seemed more like the level headed boy that he usually was. He didn't understand how Isamu had discovered the truth about his sister, but at this point it was more important to tell Isamu the whole story, so that he could understand what had happened ten years ago. He could concentrate on learning the details of what happened to Isamu while he was unconscious after that.

"Masumi is your younger twin sister. She was taken to the Soul Society by your uncle, Byakuya Kuchiki, shortly after you were both born."

Isamu started to push himself gently away from him, and Ichigo let him go so that he could look into his face. Ichigo felt a pang of longing for his late wife as Rukia's eyes studied him from his son's face. He wished she were here to help him, but then again, this probably wouldn't be an issue if she were still alive.

"Why did you have to separate us, Dad?" Isamu asked with a confused look on his face. "Couldn't you take care of both of us? And why did you choose me and not her?"

Ichigo sighed and turned to stare at the wall while he tried to think of a way to explain this without screwing up. He was certain that once he explained to Isamu why they had to separate them he would start to question Ichigo about the role that he might have played in his mother's death, and the last thing he wanted was for Isamu to blame himself for something that wasn't his fault.

"I didn't consciously choose between you - everything just sort of happened really fast - but I would have loved to have taken care of both of you. I couldn't because when you were babies you weren't able to control your powers," Ichigo started as he turned to look at Isamu's tear stained face. "We could suppress it with special gigais while you two were apart, but your reiatsus were too strong when the two of you were together."

"How strong was it, Dad? It couldn't have been so bad that you had to keep us in two different worlds."

"Isamu, I've told you before about how we aren't able to travel to the Soul Society because of the damage to the barrier dividing us from them, right?" Ichigo paused for a moment while he waited for Isamu to acknowledge him with a nod. "Well, when your aunt Yuzu, put the two of you together shortly after you were born, your reiatsu was so strong that it almost destroyed the barrier separating the two worlds."

"I don't understand…," Isamu replied. He wore a frown of deep concentration while he thought about Ichigo's words. "If being together caused such a huge problem, how did Mom carry the two of us? Wouldn't it have caused problems for everyone even when she was pregnant if our reiatsu was that powerful?"

"Your Mom was an amazingly strong person," Ichigo hedged as his mind raced around for a way to explain this. He knew that once he explained exactly what happened that night that Isamu would blame himself for her death, and he would feel exactly like how Ichigo felt as a child when his mother was murdered by the river so many years ago.

"And she had her reiatsu removed and sealed into her Zanpakutou, Sode no Shirayuki, so that she could survive long enough to have the two of you. It was the only way or else she would have died long before you or your sister would have had a chance to be born."

Ichigo snapped his head towards the sound of Kisuke Urahara's voice and glared daggers at him as he stood by the door to the room. He and Isamu had been so deep into their conversation that they didn't notice him opening the door.

"What the hell do you think you're doing, Urahara?!?" Ichigo shouted angrily at the blond haired man who continued to stand and stare calmly at both of them. He couldn't believe that he had just told Isamu that part of the story so bluntly. "I told you that I would tell him!"

"Well, Ichigo, it seemed as if you were having some difficulty so I thought I'd help you out."

Ichigo jumped up and rushed Urahara. He grabbed the front of his coat in his hands and jerked him close so that they were practically nose to nose.

"I don't need your help, you son of a bitch" he growled into Urahara's face, he was about to continue cussing Urahara out, but Isamu's faint voice broke through his anger.

"What does Urahara-sensei mean by 'survive', Dad? Why would Mom have died if she didn't have her reiatsu removed?"

Ichigo let his hands drop from Urahara's clothes and turned to face Isamu. He knew there was no way to ease him into the truth now without lying to him, so he took a deep breath and explained everything that had happened ten years ago. He didn't gloss over any of the details because he knew that Isamu wouldn't believe anything less than the truth now that he knew his mother had been in danger from just being pregnant with them.

"So … the reason that Mom died when she had us was because we killed her," Isamu choked out once Ichigo finished the whole story, fresh tears beginning to run down his face. Ichigo's heart twisted in agony over the pained expression that was now painted all over Isamu's face, and the sight of Isamu's hands gripping the blanket that covered him so hard that his knuckles were pure white. "Because of us, she had to flee from the Soul Society, never able to return…"

"No, Isam…," Ichigo tried to interject, but Isamu continued on as if he hadn't spoken at all.

"Have her reiatsu removed so she could never be a Shinigami again…," his voice becoming louder with each and every word.

"Isamu, it wasn't li…"

"And when she accidentally used our reiatsu to protect Karin Oba-chan she went into early labor before it was safe to have us, and then she died. Did I get that right, Dad? Did I miss anything?"

"No, Isamu, no," Ichigo said vehemently as he shook his head back and forth in denial. "It wasn't like that at all. Your mother wanted you and your sister more than anything in this world, and she was happy to do everything she did to have you. She would have survived if things didn't happen the way they did."

"But things did happen the way that they did, didn't they, Dad," Isamu replied as he started to stand shakily to his feet. He stumbled a little once he was standing and had to brace himself against a nearby wall. Ichigo went to him to try to help him– to comfort him, but just before he reached him Isamu turned his pain filled face towards him. "She tried to save us, and look what we did… we killed her!"

With his last words Isamu bolted past everyone and ran for the front of the shop.

"Isamu, wait!" Ichigo shouted as he turned to chase after him. He didn't know how Isamu did it with all of his injuries, but by the time he reached the front of the shop Isamu had already disappeared out the door and into the chilly night. "Isamu! Come back!"

"Jinta and Tessai will go with you to help you find him," Urahara said from behind him. Ichigo whirled around and grabbed the front of Urahara's clothes and slammed him against one of the display cases.

"What the hell, is the matter with you, Urahara?!?" Ichigo shouted into his face. "Why did you say those things to Isamu, so that I had no other choice, but to tell him the truth in that way?!? Once you told him about Rukia having her reiatsu removed to survive her pregnancy he wouldn't have believed any easier version I could have told him."

"He needed to know everything, Ichigo," Urahara explained as he gazed steadily at Ichigo from under the brim of his hat. "For him to get control of his powers he has to understand everything, and he doesn't have time for us to treat him with kid gloves. Besides, wouldn't it have been crueler to keep him in the dark about all the details, and then let him discover the truth on his own like he did with Masumi?"

Ichigo couldn't argue with that after seeing Isamu's reaction to being surprised with the news about his younger sister. He shoved Urahara away from him and ran out the door to go look for his son.

_______________

Masumi was dreaming again. She was sitting on a hill covered with wild flowers, and a warm, spring-like breeze blew gently through the air. Clouds were moving lazily by in a soft blue sky, and the sun was bright and warm. Everything was beautiful, but she thought the most amazing thing about this dream was that there were dozens of beautiful, brightly colored butterflies fluttering around, flitting from flower to flower. Masumi raised a finger out in front of her and a particularly beautiful one with violet wings and black spots landed on her finger. She gazed in wonder at it until someone spoke from beside her.

"It's beautiful here, isn't it, Masumi?"

She jumped a bit in surprise and the butterfly fluttered away. She looked towards the voice, and her eyes widened and filled with tears as she realized who was sitting next to her.

"Mother?" she whispered as she gazed in wonder at the delicate looking woman with raven black hair who had suddenly appeared next to her. She wore the pretty yellow outfit she had seen in the photo that she had found in her room earlier, and was kneeling next to Masumi while she tentatively touched a nearby flower with her fingertips. "Is it really you?"

"Of course, it's me, Masumi," her mother said as she turned to look at Masumi. "I'm so happy that I finally get to see you…"

"Mother!" Masumi shouted with sheer joy as she launched herself, full force, toward her mother. They both fell backwards from her enthusiastic greeting, but it didn't seem faze her mother at all as she wrap her arms around Masumi's head. Tears of happiness ran down Masumi's cheeks as she buried her face into the soft fabric of her mother's dress. "Oh, I've missed you so much! You have no idea how much… Oh, mother…"

Masumi felt such warmth and love as her mother gently stroked her hair. She wanted nothing more than to stay here by her side forever as she clung to the mother that she had never met.

"Shhhh, Masumi, it's alright," her mother murmured to her as Masumi's continued to babble on and on into her dress. Masumi wasn't even sure if what she was saying was making any sense anymore because her emotions were overwhelming her.

Her mother gently cupped her cheeks in her hands and turned Masumi's face towards hers. She gave her a small, but very sad looking smile. She opened her mouth as if she were about to say something, but suddenly she cocked her head as if she were trying to hear something that was very far away. Her eyes grew distant as she listened to whatever it was that only she could hear, and instead of speaking, she gently untangled Masumi's arms from her waist, stood up, and gazed solemnly out into the distance.

"Mother, what's wrong?" she asked as her mother continued to stare at something only she could see in the horizon. Masumi reached up and grabbed her hand to try to get her attention again. It felt just as warm and soft as she had always imagined. "Answer me, please? If this is just a dream, I want to – no - need to talk to you before I wake up."

Her mother looked down at her and smiled her small, sad smile once more. Without letting go of Masumi's hand, she bent down again and gently laid her hand on Masumi's cheek, wiping away a tear from her eye with her thumb.

"This is only a dream Masumi, and I'm happy that I got to see you – to speak with you, but I'm not really here and you have to wake up now."

"But why, Mother?" she cried out in a panic as she clutched her mother's hand tighter. "I don't care if this is just a dream. You're here and I've missed you so much! Please don't go! Stay with me a little longer!"

"I'm sorry, Masumi, but I can't stay any longer and there is something I need you to do," she said as she knelt down so that she could look Masumi directly into her eyes. As she spoke to Masumi her mother's figure started to fade and she could see right through her. "You need to ask your uncle about Isamu, and you have to go to him in the human world. He is in a lot of pain and really needs you right now."

"But he hates me! I don't understand why he would need me for anything."

"He doesn't really hate you, Masumi," she said, her voice became fainter as she started to completely vanish. "Trust me, please…"

As her mother completely disappeared from her sight, Masumi bolted upright from her bed, her arm reaching beseechingly toward the empty space that her mother had occupied in front of her.

"Mother!"

____________

Byakuya Kuchiki sat as still as statue by Masumi's side as he waited for her to awaken. They had returned to the Kuchiki manor as soon as Captain Unohana had said that everything seemed fine. He wanted her at home where he felt that he could take care of her better. She had been asleep for most of the day and after all that had happened to her he did not want to leave her side until she could tell him what had happened.

Suddenly, Masumi shot up from her futon and started reaching for something only she could see in front of her.

"Mother!"

Byakuya's eyes widened in surprise to hear Masumi suddenly cry out for her mother. He reached out, and gently grasped her arm that was trying to grasp her unseen desire while he gently called her name.

"Masumi, it is alright," he said soothingly as he watched recognition swim back into her face. He let go of her arm and she slowly lowered it so that she could clutch her hands to her chest. Tears started to slip from her eyes as she turned to look at him.

"Byakuya Oji-sama," she whispered as she continued to clasp her hands tightly to her chest, it was almost as if she were trying to keep her heart from breaking into a million pieces. Byakuya felt a wrench in his own heart to see her so upset, so he leaned over and softly grasped her hands. She let him take them as she spoke to him again. "I dreamed about my mother… She looked so beautiful, and I wished… I wished so hard that I could stay with her longer, but she left…"

_She dreamed about Rukia? No wonder she is so upset._

Byakuya squeezed her hands reassuringly, and was about to say something comforting, but she continued on before he could speak.

"And she told me that I had to ask you about Isamu…," she continued as she studied her uncle, her sadness tempered by curiosity. "Who is Isamu, Byakuya Oji-sama, and why does he have the same color eyes as my mother?"

Byakuya felt himself go still.

_How did she find out about Isamu?_ Byakuya wondered as he kept his face carefully blank, while his mind raced through possible answers. He studied Masumi's tear streaked face carefully as he tried to decide what he should tell her. _Did someone tell her or is it truly possible that Rukia came to her in a dream?_

"Your mother told you to ask me about Isamu?" he finally asked after a lengthy silence.

"I know that was who was in my dream just now, but I don't know if it was something my own mind made up," she answered quietly as she played absent mindedly with her pendant. "Because it was actually my Zanpakutou who first told me that I needed to find someone, and to ask you about who I needed to find. I only know the name Isamu because I met him in my Zanpakutou's world shortly after she spoke to me."

"You met Isamu?" Byakuya asked sharply, he felt his fear rise at the thought of the two of them so close. He saw Masumi flinch a little at his tone, but he could not help it. They were no longer babes who were unable to control their powers, but still, no one could know what would happen if they came together now. He continued in a gentler tone. "Masumi, I need you to tell me everything that happened when you tried to communicate with your Zanpakutou."

_________________

Masumi looked up at her uncle as she finally finished explaining to him what had happened when she had gone to find her Zanpakutou. She had been impatient to hear what he had to tell her about Isamu, but she knew that her uncle was a methodical man, and he would want to learn everything that she knew before he would tell her anything. His eyes were closed and he seemed to be thinking very hard about what she had told him. She desperately wanted to hear what he had to say, but she knew better than to try to make him answer before he was ready.

_I just wish he would say something… anything, _she thought as her heart thumped with anticipation about the answers he might have for her. _He's taking so long to respond… I wonder what could be wrong..._

Her uncle finally opened his eyes and regarded her solemnly. Although his face was its usual unreadable mask, she could tell from his eyes that he was in a lot of pain right now. It made her almost want to tell him that he didn't have to tell her anything if it hurt him that much, but she needed to know and she knew he was the only one who could give her the answers that she needed.

"Masumi, before I tell you this story I just wanted to tell you that if it were not for you I would have spent the years after your mother's death in complete misery and loneliness. I knew this day would come, but I had hoped it would not have been so soon," he murmured quietly as he stood up and opened the sliding doors so that they could see the courtyard outside. It was strangely quiet and still outside, almost as if the world were holding its breath in anticipation of what her uncle was about to tell her. He gazed out the door for a minute or two then came back to his place beside her. "I was granted ten happy years with you, Masumi, but I guess my reprieve is over. I will now tell you the truth about your birth and my role in your mother's death."

* * *

Byakuya stared unflinchingly at Masumi as he waited for her reaction to the truth about her life. He had held nothing back and had explained to her everything that had happened, including his part in causing her mother's death. As he spoke, he watched with a heart filled with sadness and loss as her face became more pained with every word he spoke. If she rejected him, he knew that it was exactly what he deserved, and he had reconciled himself to that long ago, but he had hoped that this day would not have come so soon.

Byakuya waited anxiously for Masumi to respond, expecting her to rant and rave at him, but she remained calm, her face practically a mirror of his normal aloof mask that he wore. His heart beat painfully in his chest as she remained quiet for several minutes, but at last, she simply whispered, "Please, leave me alone for a while, Byakuya Oji-sama."

Byakuya got up and left the room. After he slid the door closed behind him, Masumi's muffled sobs began behind the closed doors. He longed for a way to ease the pain that he had just caused her, but knew that he did not have the right to be with her anymore.

* * *

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.^^

Thanks also to those of you who reviewed! It's always appreciated!^^

Thanks again to my Beta for helping me clean my writing up.


	9. Chapter 9: Lost

Yay! I've finally managed to get the next chapter up. Please enjoy!^^

Disclaimer: Darn! I still don't own Bleach!

* * *

**Chapter 9: Lost**

Isamu ran blindly through the cold darkness as he tried to escape from his father's words, but no matter how far he ran he couldn't escape from the torment that they caused within his own soul. He had been told his whole life that his mother's death was just a tragic accident - that it wasn't his fault, but tonight he finally learned the terrible truth. His guilt was a weight that he wished would crush him to death so he could find release from his agony, but at the same time his mind was telling him that it was a fitting punishment for the horrendous thing that he had done by just being born.

_My fault! It's all my fault!_

He ran through the darkened streets of Karakura, not paying attention to anything around him, as the tortuous thought replayed over and over in his mind. There was no escaping it no matter how far his legs took him, and the searing fire in his lungs and burning sensations in his muscles were nothing in comparison to the pain that threatened to burst his heart.

_I'm sorry mom! I'm so sorry! You should never have kept me – us – you should have just let us die! _

His pain goaded him on, and he would have kept running from it until he collapsed from exhaustion, if he hadn't suddenly tripped and slid forward on the rough ground, scraping his hands and face badly. The shock of the pain from his injuries, old and new, was enough to snap him out of his single minded daze of guilt and anguish, and for the first time since he had run from Urahara Shoten he looked up and actually realized where he was.

_Mom…, I'm so sorry…_

Although his head had no clue where he was going, apparently his heart knew where to take him. He had somehow ended up in front of his mother's grave, just as a heavy rain began to fall. He remained on the cold, rocky ground for a while, staring sightlessly at the grave marker as the water began to flow down his face. A small movement in front of him caught his eye, and he noticed some flowers that his father had probably left for his mother bobbing wildly around from the pounding rain. Next to them, sat a tattered stuffed bunny Isamu had left for his mother the last time they had come to visit the grave as a family. His father had once told him that his mother had been crazy about bunnies, so Isamu had gone out and purchased one with his own allowance for her to have. He had been so proud of his gift, but now it seemed like such a pathetic thing to give her, especially since he was one of the reasons that she lay in the grave before him.

"I'm sorry, Mom," he whispered as he lay motionless in the freezing rain. They seemed to be the only words he could say anymore. He tried to move his hand so that he could touch her gravestone, but he discovered that his body wouldn't respond to him anymore because the icy chill from the downpour had caused all his abused muscles to freeze up and stop working. All he ever wanted was to be close to her, and yet she was forever out of his reach because of him. _It's so sadly ironic, isn't it mom? You would have been better off without me…_

"I'm so sorry…"

Isamu stayed on the hard ground simply staring at the mournful looking bunny - the rain dripping down its nose as if it too were crying. The sight of it seemingly shedding tears finally caused his own tears to begin pouring from his eyes and mix with the rain falling from the sky. A fine tremor shook his whole body as he let his pain flow out through his voice. His sobs filled the deserted graveyard and melded with the sound of the falling rain to create a mournful lament that would have made even the stone statues that looked over the graves weep with sadness. He stayed that way until exhaustion finally caught up to him and he was able to find some release from his pain in unconsciousness.

_______________

"Isamu!"

_Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! Where could he have gone?_

"Isamu! Where the hell are you!?!"

_Damn Urahara and his big mouth...._

"Isamu! Answer me!"

_Damn this whole crappy situation…_

"Isamu!"

_But most of all, damn me for being such a coward in the first place…_

Ichigo Kurosaki stopped for a moment in his frantic search for his son so that he could catch his breath. He was breathing hard as he braced himself against his knees with his hands because this was the first time he had stopped running since he had started his search. He had practically gone through every street in the entire town, but had no luck in locating Isamu. Tessai and Jinta had followed him from Urahara Shoten to help him search, and he had contacted the rest of his family and the Ishidas to help too. Yuzu and Orihime were waiting at the clinic, along with Orihime's daughter, Hikari, just in case Isamu decided to go home. The rest of them were running through the streets of Karakura, and although they were scattered far and wide, Ichigo could swear that he could hear all of their voices melding together in a frantic chorus as they searched for Isamu.

_I'm sorry, Rukia, I managed to screw this up big time. I should have told him sooner. I guess I really am an idiot…_

Ichigo could imagine the pain and guilt his son was feeling right now because he had gone through the same thing when his mother had been murdered by Grand Fisher so long ago. After it happened, Ichigo had been ready for everyone to be angry with him – to hate him - because he was the one responsible for her death, and although no one had felt that way, he still had carried more than enough of the burden to forever erase the happy, carefree boy that he had been. Even though he understood everything now that he was older, he still felt pangs of his old feelings of guilt every once in a while. He had hoped to spare his son these feelings, but in the end, he realized that it was inevitable that Isamu would have to face them to overcome his own inner demon.

"Kurosaki!"

Ichigo looked in the direction of the voice that called him, and saw Uryuu Ishida running towards him from across the street. He was dressed in the suit he had worn to their meeting earlier, the only difference was that he had loosened his tie from around his neck and removed his jacket. He boosted himself gracefully over the guardrail separating the sidewalk from the street and maneuvered through what little traffic there was to the other side.

"Uryuu…," Ichigo called out as he ran to meet him, a hard rain began to fall as they approached each other in front of the lit window of a toy store. The light that it cast created distorted shadows of them in the puddles of water that were beginning to form. "Any luck in finding him?"

"Unfortunately, no, I've tried searching for his reiatsu, but he's either concealing it or else it's weakened to the point where I can't find it," he said, as water began to drip down his face. Ichigo wiped at his face in irritation as some of the water dripping down his face got into his eyes and obscured his vision. "Orihime tried calling his cell phone, but he left it in his room."

_Aw, crap… I didn't even think of trying to call him, but I guess even if he had his phone he probably wouldn't have answered…_

"Thanks, Uryuu," Ichigo replied, his disappoint clearly evident in his voice. He had hoped that Uryuu had been coming to tell him some good news, but even though it wasn't, Ichigo had faith that with everyone's help they were sure to find him soon. "I appreciate everything you guys are…"

Just then, movement from the window of the toy store caught his eye.

He studied the display set up in the window and tried to figure out what had caught his attention. The first thing Ichigo noticed was the collection of stuffed animals that sat in a pile in the back of the display, but soon, his eyes focused on something small and white that was moving in the center - a little toy bunny doing back flips. It would shuffle forward for a few steps, sit back on its hind legs, spring backwards, and then land on all fours. Ichigo watched it do this a couple of times as he was briefly transported back to the last time the Kurosaki family had visited Rukia and his mother together.

_It was a beautiful, clear summer day and they were all making the trek to visit the family grave. Ichigo often stopped there by himself to leave some flowers for Rukia and his Mom, but this was the only time of the year the whole family would go together. Ichigo and Isamu were alone for the moment because his father had said something stupid to offend Karin, and she was now chasing after him, threatening to put an end to his miserable life if he didn't grow up. Yuzu had chased after them, as usual, to try to get them to stop fighting._

"_What's up with that bag you're carrying, Isamu?" Ichigo asked as they continued walking up the hill after them. He wondered how he hadn't noticed his son carrying such a big, frilly bag until now. It was a pretty pink sack imprinted with white hearts, and it had a lacy, red bow threaded through holes on the top of it. _

"_Don't tell me you're meeting a girl or something after this?" Ichigo teased as they continued their trek upwards. He didn't really think Isamu was really interested in girls yet, but the package did make him realize that his son was growing up faster than he would have ever thought possible. "I didn't think you thought about that kind of stuff yet."_

"_It's a present for Mom," Isamu replied as he clutched the bag a little tighter to him, his face turning a little red in response to Ichigo's teasing. "When I bought it the sales clerk at the store insisted on wrapping it when I mentioned it was for my mother." _

"_Huh, so what did you get her?"_

"_Well, you told me once about how she really loved bunnies so I bought her one," he had said proudly despite the blush tingeing his cheeks. "That way, she'll always have one of her favorite things with her."_

"That's it…," he murmured to himself, and then he took off in the direction of the graveyard without another word. He could hear Uryuu shouting after him – asking him where he was going, but he didn't pause to answer him as he ran as fast as he could to the one place he hadn't thought to look until now.

_I really am going stupid, _he thought in disgust as he raced through the pouring rain. _I don't know why I didn't think of it sooner. Knowing Isamu and how much he loves his mother, he would have obviously gone to see her after learning about everything…_

The scenery around him passed without Ichigo consciously aware of what was around him, and the only sounds he could hear was the beating of his own heart and the rhythmic splashing of his feet as they cut through the puddles on the street. He ran until he finally made it to the Kurosaki family plot, and was greeted by the sight of his son lying motionless on the ground in front of his mother's grave.

"Isamu…," he gasped out, relief and worry warring for dominance as he reached his son's side, and turned him over. Isamu moaned a little as Ichigo picked him up in his arms, and as he cradled his son he noticed how hot he felt despite the cold rain falling down on them.

_I think he has a fever, _Ichigo worried as he clutched his son in his arms. He staggered a little as he rose from the ground with Isamu, but as soon as he regained his balance he took off running towards their home. _I better hurry and get him home._

______________

"Mommy, when is Isamu Nii-chan coming home?"

"He should be home soon, Hikari," Orihime Ishida answered as she gently brushed back the dark orange hair of her five year old daughter. She tried to smile reassuringly to hide her concern so that her little girl wouldn't worry about her adored adopted older brother. "I'm sure that Kurosaki Oji-san is going to come home any minute now with him."

"Okay, Mommy," she answered, sounding disappointed as she turned to play with her favorite doll by the low table. Orihime's reassuring smile instantly faded as her daughter's attention was elsewhere. She was sure that Hikari could sense that something was wrong, but Orihime didn't want to burden her with things that she was too young to understand. "It's just that I really wanna play my dolly with him…"

"I know, Hikari," Orihime replied as she gently, but a little absent mindedly, stroked her hair. She was distracted by the knowledge of what happened to Isamu at Urahara Shoten. She had helped watch over Isamu since the day he was born and he was like a son to her. She was so worried about all sorts of things - how he was taking the truth about Rukia; his change into a Visored; and especially the fact that he was missing right now.

_I can't believe he has to deal with all of this when he's still so young, _she worried as she turned her head to look out of the darkened living room window. She could see rivulets of rain coursing down the glass as she reached herself out into the night to see if she could sense his reiatsu, but it was to no avail. Orihime sighed and turned back to Hikari who was trying to get her attention so that she could help her get her doll's arm into its dress. _I wish there was a way we could have protected him for a little while longer._

Suddenly, her cell phone rang and she fumbled for it on the table, hoping that it was Uryuu calling with good news about Isamu. She managed to pick it up, only to drop it again. At last she managed to answer it before it could go to voicemail.

"Hello…," she said a little breathlessly when she finally got the phone positioned by her ear. She got up and walked towards the window in an effort to keep Hikari from overhearing their conversation.

"Orihime…," Uryuu said questioningly. He knew how worried she was about Isamu and he was probably worried about how she was holding up. "Is everything ok? You took a while to answer…"

"I'm fine, Uryuu, I'm just such a klutz," she replied quickly with a half hearted, nervous laugh. She still sometimes responded a little inappropriately when she was stressed. "But never mind me, more importantly, did you find Isamu?"

"No, unfortunately, we didn't, but I think Ichigo might have realized where he is because he suddenly took off when I was giving him an update. I started to go after him, but I sensed him heading back to the clinic before I could catch up to him, so I'm gathering everyone together to meet back there instead."

"Were you able to sense Isamu's reiatsu with him?" Orihime asked as she worriedly bit her lower lip.

She waited anxiously as Uryuu hesitated for a moment before answering her.

"No…," he said slowly. "But I'm sure that Ichigo wouldn't be heading back to the clinic without him."

"Yes… yes, you're right, Uryuu," she replied, her voice trembling a little with her anxiety.

"Don't worry Orihime, they should be there soon," he reassured her. "I have to finish gathering everyone else up, but we should all be there shortly."

After that they said their goodbyes and Orihime clutched the phone to her chest with both of her hands. She sent a silent prayer out into the universe that Isamu would be ok.

_Please, let him be alright. Please, please…_

Orihime's pleas were interrupted by the sound of the front door banging open, but before she could turn to head towards the entranceway, Hikari was up and running towards the door, her face alight with joy and excitement.

"Isamu Nii-chan! Isamu Nii-chan!" Hikari shouted exuberantly as she flew to the front door, but she suddenly stopped short of the entrance to the hallway. Orihime caught up to her and gently pulled her against her side to keep her from inadvertently getting in the way.

"Isamu Nii-chan," Hikari repeated in a soft voice that now sounded afraid and unsure, the exact opposite of her earlier enthusiasm.

_It must have been Ichigo and Isamu…_

Orihime looked around for them in the entranceway, but she only saw the wide open front door and heard the rain pelting the ground with heavy droplets. She turned towards the stairs to look for them and caught a glimpse of Ichigo running up the stairs with Isamu lying limply in his arms. Her heart caught in her throat at the fleeting sight of Isamu's pale face and bruised eyes, and she hurried up the stairs after them.

___________

Masumi cried bitter tears into her arms as she replayed her uncle's words over and over again in her head. With each repetition, her feelings of disappointment and betrayal grew, and her heart became lost in the wilderness of painful truth that her uncle's confession had placed her in. She couldn't believe that it had taken only a few short minutes for her world to be completely turned upside down and torn apart by her uncle's words. Her mind wandered aimlessly in a maze of uncertainty, as her brain just kept asking questions that she didn't have the answer to.

_Did it really happen that way, Byakuya Oji-Sama? _

_Were you really the reason that my mother died? _

_Did you really try to keep us from ever being born?_

_Why? Byakuya Oji-sama, why?_

He had told the entire story with absolutely no expression in his face or voice, and for once, Masumi had no idea what he was thinking or feeling while he spoke. He didn't flinch as he explained to her that her mother had run away from him because he tried to make her get rid of them; his voice hadn't waivered when he explained how he fought against her father when he came to the human world to take her mother back to the Soul Society by force; and his eyes had remained emotionless when he explained how his interference had led to her mother's death after their birth.

_Maybe if he had shown some remorse or regret while he was telling me all of this, then maybe it wouldn't be so bad, but there was… nothing… he told the whole story as if it didn't faze him at all…_

_I don't understand why my Zanpakutou or my mother would want me to know this, _Masumi wondered in confusion as she curled up on her side and stared sightlessly out the door her uncle had opened before he left. Her tears continued to fall in a continuous flow that seemed as if it would never end. _How does this help me accomplish anything? Did they just want me to not trust him anymore? Did they want me to hate him?_

Masumi blinked as her last two questions caused her torrent of thoughts to pause for a moment. All of her doubts could be resolved if she could just answer those last two.

_Do I really not trust Byakuya Oji-sama…? Do I hate him…? _

She lay on her futon staring out into the bright sunlight that seemed to be mocking her with its cheeriness, and thought about everything her uncle had ever done for her. She remembered his patience in teaching her how to fight; his gentleness when he would pick her up after she fell; his concern when he would check on her at night; and his protectiveness that was always trying to shelter her from harm.

_Do I turn my back on him forever because of what he said he'd done ten years ago? _Masumi wondered as memories flooded her – one after the other – until she paused on one particular memory from when she was still a really little girl.

_Masumi loved to be up high because she loved the freedom she felt when she could look down on the huge world around her. Everyone was always scolding her that she shouldn't climb so much or else she was going to hurt herself, but she didn't believe them because she thought that everyone was just being stuffy, and that they were only concerned about her climbing because it wasn't very ladylike and proper. _

Who wants to be ladylike, _she often thought to herself while her tutors, the elders, and other nobles scolded her about being a 'proper' representative for the Kuchiki family. _It's so absolutely booooring!

_Only Byakuya Oji-sama's warnings could make her pause for a moment because she knew that he loved her absolutely, but since nothing in life had ever taught her otherwise, she believed that she was invincible and she continued doing what she wanted to do. _

_One day, when she had slipped away from everyone in the household who was supposed to be watching her, she found the tallest cherry blossom tree in the garden and climbed to the top so that she could look over the walls surrounding the Kuchiki manor. _

It's so pretty, _she had thought as a soft breeze lifted her hair from her shoulders and she enjoyed the sites around her. _I almost feel like I could fly.

_Her spirit at that moment was soaring so high that she wanted her body to go along with it, so she let go of the trunk and started walking along the branch while she hummed a little tune to herself. She wobbled a little to her left… and then a little to her right, but her excellent sense of balance kept her on the branch. She spread her arms wide and turned her face upwards so that she could feel the warmth of the sun on her face, but suddenly a gust of wind blew something into her eye and when she flinched her foot slipped from its precarious footing on the branch._

_She was so surprised by the fall that she didn't even cry out, and she could only stare in shock as she watched the sky seem to get further away from her. At the last second before she thought she would hit the ground she had scrunched her eyes closed and braced for the feeling of her body hitting the hard earth, but it never came. _

_Masumi opened her eyes in confusion and looked up to see her uncle staring worriedly at her. He was holding her tightly against his chest, catching her safely before she could hurt herself. She thought she might have imagined it, but she could have sworn that he had been trembling as he had held her. The thought that she had frightened him so much was enough to make her burst into tears of remorse although he hadn't said a word to her._

She didn't know why that particular moment stuck in her mind when there had been so many other things he had done for her, but it seemed to epitomize the nature of their relationship. She always went out and did something stupid and impulsive, and no matter what, he was always there to save her.

_I always felt so bad for troubling him and making him worried, s_he thought as she uncurled her body and sat slowly up. Her tears finally beginning to slow as she started to formulate a plan to resolve the confusion in her heart. She grabbed her blanket and rubbed the last traces of her tears away with it. _I trained so hard so that I could stop making him worry and be able to take care of myself._

_Byakuya Oji-sama made it sound like everything that happened had been entirely his fault, but maybe there was more to it than that…_

Masumi knew that there was only one other person she trusted to tell her what really happened when she and Isamu were born, so she got out of bed, got dressed, sneaked out into the garden and leaped atop the high garden wall. Then she used shunpo to carry her towards Squad 6's barracks, and to the person who had the second most important position in her heart next to her uncle.

_____________

The afternoon sun shone brightly down on to Byakuya Kuchiki as he made his way down the hall towards the family shrine. Although the sun's light warmed the air around him, his heart still felt frozen in pain and anguish from having to tell Masumi the devastating truth about her mother. He fully expected for her to never speak to him again, and in his heart he felt that he deserved this punishment.

_If only I had really listened to Rukia when she first found out that she was pregnant instead of trying to force my opinion on her, _he thought ruefully as he walked with eyes downcast, lost in thought. _I thought my way was the right way – the only way – and because of my arrogance I caused Rukia's death. There is nothing in the world that could ever excuse that._

Byakuya had made sure that when he told Masumi the truth that he left no doubt that he was at fault for her mother's death. He had been preparing himself for this day since he brought her home with him ten years ago, and he knew that it was only a matter of time before he would need to be punished for his crimes. He had hid his true feelings from her while he explained everything because he did not want her pity for him to cloud her perception of the truth, and he could tell by her expressive face that he had succeeded. The heartbreak in Masumi's eyes as she absorbed every word that he spoken had been like a blade plunged repeatedly into his soul, and Byakuya wished that he could snatch back the things that were said, but he knew that she deserved the truth even if it was a painful one – and he deserved his lonely fate.

_I just wish there was a way I could have told her everything without hurting her so…_

_I have finally told her everything, Rukia, _he thought as he reached the small shrine with the pictures of Hisana, Rukia, and the rest of his family who had passed away. He stared unflinchingly at Rukia's picture that was next to her older sister's one, nestled among a large gathering of flowers, incense and other offerings. _I have fulfilled my duty to tell her the truth – why was it so important for her to learn everything now?_

That was the question that concerned him the most. Byakuya was sure that Sode no Shirayuki was the one who told Masumi to ask Byakuya about Isamu, but he had no idea why Masumi would need to know about him before she could use her Zanpakutou. From reports that he had received from Urahara, Byakuya knew that Isamu was able to call upon his bracelet as a sword, so he had been sure that Masumi had just needed a little more time.

_Maybe Sode no Shirayuki is seeking revenge for Rukia, _he thought briefly, but he instantly pushed it out of his mind.

_No…, _he thought as he gazed silently at Rukia and Hisana's faces at the same time. _Rukia would have never done that._ _Hisana and Rukia may have been complete opposites outwardly, but deep inside they were very much alike. Neither of them would have done anything like this for revenge or spite._

Byakuya stood there for a long time, trying to think of an answer, but alas, he was unable to come up with one. Instead, he tried to think of what he would need to do next if Masumi did not want to stay here with him anymore. He thought that she may want to go to the human world to meet her family rather than stay in the Soul Society with him. He did not think that it would be easy getting permission from anyone to let her go back to the human world after she and her brother had almost destroyed the barrier, but Byakuya decided that if that is what she really wanted then he would try to find a way to make it happen.

_If she cannot go to the human world right away then at least she will be staying at the academy's dorms soon and she will not have to be here if she does not want to be._

A voice behind him interrupted his reverie, and he turned to see Kiyomi, Masumi's lady-in-waiting, kneeling on the ground with her head bowed respectfully to the floor.

"Kuchiki-sama, it is dinner time now. Would you like me to fetch Masumi-sama to dine with you?"

He looked past her into the courtyard and realized that night had indeed fallen.

_I did not realize that I was standing here for so long…_

"No, Kiyomi," he replied calmly although his thoughts and feelings were wild and tumultuous. "I believe that Masumi is not feeling well today, so you should bring her dinner to her room tonight."

"Very well," she said as she raised herself up and stood to take her leave. Byakuya could have sworn that he saw a fleeting look of sadness on her face, but he dismissed it because he was already weighted down by so many other concerns.

He turned back to the shrine and pondered his very lonely future.

________________

Kiyomi Yamada hurried quickly down the hall towards Masumi's room. She had taken care of her since the head of the household, Byakuya Kuchiki, had brought her home from the human world. Kiyomi felt as much love for Masumi as she did for any member of her own family, and it broke her heart to watch her suffer. All the staff knew the tragic story about what had happened to her mother, Rukia Kuchiki, and her long lost brother, Isamu. They had all been sworn to secrecy, but they all knew that this day would arrive soon enough, so when Kiyomi had witnessed a rather pained looking Byakuya Kuchiki coming out of Masumi's room, followed by her loud, heartbroken sobs, Kiyomi knew what had happened. Her first impulse had been to go into her room to check on her and make sure that she was ok, but in the end she left her alone because she knew that Masumi would not want to burden anyone else with her pain. Shei knew that Masumi would try to mask her heartache the moment she came in and she believed that Masumi needed to cry and be given the chance to mourn her loss.

_I hope Masumi-sama will understand that Kuchiki-sama just had her mother's best interest at heart, _she thought as she expertly balanced a tray full of all of Masumi's favorite foods. Kiyomi knew that Masumi probably wouldn't want to eat, but she hoped to at least tempt her by bringing all of her favorites. _He may have gone about it the wrong way, but it was his love and concern for her mother that made him do what he did._

When she finally made it to Masumi's room, she immediately kneeled down, carefully placed the tray to the side, and called out to let Masumi know she was coming in.

"Masumi-sama?" she called out tentatively as she slid the door open. She looked up and peered anxiously into the darkened room. "I've brought you your din…"

Masumi was not there.

The sliding doors on the opposite side that faced the garden were wide open and moonlight filled the empty room. Her futon was a rumpled mess and it looked as if she had gotten dressed quickly because her clothes were scattered all over the room.

Óh, no…" Kiyomi said softly as she brought a hand to her mouth in dismay. _Did she run away from home?_

_  
_Kiyomi didn't speculate for a moment longer, she instantly jumped to her feet, knocking over the tray of food that she had brought, and ran to inform Masumi's uncle.

* * *

Thanks for reading! Sorry for the long wait, but I hope it was worth it.

Thanks to my Beta for looking it over for me.

Please review! Your comments and thoughts are always appreciated!^^


	10. Chapter 10: Revelations

Thanks for waiting! I hope you enjoy this next chapter.

My Beta didn't look this one over so please forgive any errors.

Disclaimer: Bleach should be mine! MINE! But unfortunately, it's not.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Revelations**

Renji Abarai, Lieutenant of Squad 6, was having a really bad day. He'd started off his morning with a killer hangover from drinking all night with his friends; then when he reported in this morning he discovered that Captain Kuchiki was taking the morning off, so he had to do twice as much work to cover for him; and last, and probably the worst, was when he discovered that Masumi had collapsed.

Renji had gotten worried about the Captain when he didn't show up in the afternoon, so he went over to check on him. When he got there the staff informed him about Masumi's condition at the gate. He tried to press them for more information, but they could only tell him that she was now at Squad 4's barracks being treated for some unknown illness.

_I hope she's okay, _his brow furrowing in worry as he wondered what could be wrong with her. _I should have suspected that something was wrong with her when Captain Kuchiki didn't come in this morning. Masumi is the only reason that could ever make the Captain neglect his duties._

Renji cared deeply about the impish, little, orange-haired girl who was so much like Rukia. Her little mannerisms and preferences she had seemed to reflect that she was definitely her mother's daughter and his attachment to her had grown more and more as the years passed.

_She's more impulsive and outgoing, _he reflected as he remembered her many escapades over the years,_ but she definitely possesses her mother's strength and kindness. _

He'd made a promise to Rukia after she died that he would take care of Masumi for her, but even without that promise, he knew that he would still take care of her simply because he couldn't imagine a world without her smiling face or laughing eyes.

_I wish I had gone to see her, but if I didn't stay to take care of the squad then Captain Kuchiki wouldn't be able to watch over her with a clear conscience… but then again…_

Renji sighed loudly in frustration over his indecisiveness as he massaged his forehead to ease the massive headache blossoming there. His first impulse when he heard the news was to rush to Squad 4's barracks and see how she was doing, but he stopped about half way there and headed towards his own barracks instead. He'd realized that there was nothing he would be able to do for her there and it would be awkward to sit by her side with Captain Kuchiki there. He still felt like he should have gone to see her, but after a lot of thought he decided that the best thing for him to do was to take care of Squad 6 so that Captain Kuchiki would have less to worry about and could concentrate on Masumi. He was sure that Captain Kuchiki would send word if anything was seriously wrong with her.

_Aaarrrgggghhhh..., _he moaned silently to himself as he sat up from the paperwork he was trying to finish in Captain Kuchiki's office. His head was still pounding from his hangover even though the day was almost over. He figured his anxiety over Masumi's well being probably wasn't helping it either. He closed his eyes and began massaging the bridge of his nose instead in an attempt to get his brain to stop trying to force its way out of his head. _I'm such an idiot! I should never have let Matsumoto talk me into a drinking contest with her and Kira..._

"Renji Onii-chan..."

The unexpected sound of Masumi's voice next to him startled him so much that when he turned towards her he banged his elbow against the table and knocked all the papers on it to the ground. He rubbed the sore spot vigorously while he muttered curses under his breath. Even though he was annoyed with his clumsiness and inattention, he was also relieved that Masumi was here because it must mean that she was okay. He opened his mouth to ask her about what had happened and how she was doing, but he stopped when he finally got a good look at her.

_She looks… horrible, _he realized as he studied her pale face. Instead of her usual bubbly self, she seemed like a completely different person as she stared at him silently with eyes that were really red and swollen - like she had been crying for a very long time. Her normally neat hair wasn't in its usual braid and instead it was uncombed and was pulled back into a sloppy ponytail. Even the clothes she wore were mismatched and rumpled - like she had just thrown on whatever she could find in a hurry.

He waited for her usual response to his clumsiness, but instead of laughing and asking if he was okay, she remained silent. The caring, happy-go-lucky, enthusiastic girl he cared about seemed to have disappeared.

"Are you okay, Masumi?"

Masumi bit her lower lip as it started to tremble, and her eyes began to fill with tears as she looked up at him and tried to answer his question. Renji felt like an ass and wanted to smack himself on the forehead for asking such a stupid thing when she was so obviously not okay. He fumbled incompetently around for something else to say to fix everything, but when Masumi's tears started to drip down her face, it was enough to immediately cause Renji to panic.

"Don't cry, Masumi!" he said rather desperately as he looked frantically around the room for something - anything - to stop her impending meltdown. He had never been good with this type of emotional situation, and he had no clue how to keep it from happening. "Please, don't cry!"

As her tears continued to fall freely from her eyes despite his pleas, Renji realized that he was in way over his head and decided that he needed to go and get some help immediately. He scrambled towards the door to find someone, but in his haste, he tripped over his own feet and fell with a loud thud on to the floor. He quickly picked himself back up, cursing at himself again, but he stopped when heard a strange choking sound coming from Masumi. He turned towards her in a panic - convinced that she was having some sort of seizure or something, but was brought up short when he realized that she was actually laughing at him.

"I-I'm sorry, Renji Onii-chan," she sputtered out between her fingers, she looked far from well, but at least there was a hint of her usual sunny self peeking out. "You just looked so… so… funny. I-I just couldn't help it..."

The laughter lasted only for a moment, but it had apparently been enough to stop her tears and give her a chance to calm down. Renji hoped that this was a sign that her melancholy mood was over, but the humor in her face suddenly drained out all at once as she sighed heavily and plopped down onto the chair on the other side of the desk. Her eyes instantly locked on to her uncle's empty chair and she stared listlessly at it without another word. A heavy silence settled itself over them, and Renji's feelings of concern and confusion began to grow by leaps and bounds. Her odd behavior was making him wonder why she was even out and about when she still seemed to be so unsteady.

_I wonder what happened? _Renji wondered as he picked himself up off the floor, went in front of her and leaned against the desk so that he was facing her. _I don't think I've ever seen her this depressed._

"So...," Renji started, but he was almost immediately interrupted by Masumi's own question.

"Renji Onii-chan, what do you know about how my mother died?" she asked quietly, her eyes still focused on her uncle's empty chair behind him. Renji was caught off guard because this was the last thing that he ever thought she would come to talk to him about.

"Huh? What...? Why…? Why are yo...," he asked in confusion as his mind raced in circles trying to come up with an answer for her. He was so dumbfounded that he couldn't even seem to put a coherent sentence together.

"Byakuya Oji-sama, told me everything," she interrupted again in that same soft monotone voice she had been using since she got here. Renji watched her face worriedly as it got even paler, her next few words seemed to be dragged out of her mouth with great difficulty. "I-I know about Isamu and my mother an-and... how Byakuya Oji-sama caused my mother's death."

Renji could only stare at Masumi as she sat on her chair and retold the tale of her birth and her mother's death. She spoke with no emotion as she continued to stare at her uncle's chair with dead eyes that seemed to reflect a world where all hope and joy had been lost. He listened patiently to her story, but as she went on he he realized that although the details were correct, it seemed as if the story really seemed skewed to emphasize his Captain's deeds in the worst possible light. From the way Masumi was telling it, Captain Kuchiki might as well have drawn his Zanpakutou and killed Rukia personally.

"Is it true, Renji Onii-chan?" Masumi asked as she finally finished telling him her sad tale. She looked up at him with eyes that were bright with pain as she waited for him to confirm or deny her story. Her face held an expression of loss that greatly pained Renji's heart. "Did everything happen the way that Byakuya Oji-sama said it did?"

* * *

Masumi stared at Renji with a feeling of intense anticipation. Her heart felt as if it were going to explode from her pent up anxiety. She trusted him beyond a doubt because next to her uncle, he was the one she shared everything with. There weren't many other kids among the nobles and their meetings were always so formal that they didn't really form close friendships with one another. Renji had helped to watch over her since she was a baby and he had taken the role of older brother and best friend. She was aware, even at her age, that even though he wasn't always the brightest person, he was usually honest with his feelings and he didn't try to hide how he felt or what he thought. She knew that if she asked him, that he would tell her the truth as far as he knew it.

_Tell me everything was a lie, Renji Onii-chan… please say that everything was a lie…_

"Well, Renji Onii-chan," she prompted him when he didn't answer her. He just leaned against her uncle's desk with a very uncomfortable look on his face. "Is everything that Byakuya Oji-sama said true?"

"Most of what you said is true, Masumi," he began slowly, and Masumi felt her heart begin to break again.

_Why Byakuya Oji-sama… why?_

"But," he continued, interrupting her thoughts. "He only did what he did to protect your mother. You have to understand that she was very important to him and he didn't want to lose her."

"So that makes it ok that he tried to get rid of us?" She rubbed her teary eyes with the back of her hand. "Why did he try to force my mother to do something she didn't want to if he cared about her so much?"

Masumi suddenly felt Renji's hands grip her shoulder's tightly. She lifted her head in startled surprise, and found him staring at her with intense concentration.

"Did you know that I let your mother think I didn't care about being with her?"

Masumi blinked in surprise at Renji's words. She didn't know what she had expected him to say, but that was definitely not one of the top ten things that she would have expected to pop out of his mouth.

"No…, you never mentioned it," she replied slowly as she stared at him with a look of blank confusion. Masumi had no clue where he was going with this. "I don't understand what that has to do with my mother or my uncl…"

"It's about making mistakes with the people you care the most about," Renji interrupted as he continued to stare at her intensely. "I hurt Rukia's feelings and made her cry because I thought that she was better off without me."

"Why would you do that, Renji Onii-chan? I thought you were best friends?"

"Yeah, well… I was an idiot," he replied as he leaned back on to the desk again, his gaze becoming unfocused as he thought back. "It was when your uncle first approached her about being adopted into the house of Kuchiki. I wanted her to be happy and I thought this was the best thing for her, so I pretty much told her that I was happy to see her go. I knew that she really wanted us to stay together, but I decided that pushing her away was the best thing for her."

"Why would you do that?" she asked indignantly, feeling a little outraged on her mother's behalf. "I don't understand, Renji Onii-chan. I thought you were like family. Why would you hurt her that way?"

"We were family, but I thought that she would finally be able to live the life she deserved when your uncle adopted her, so I let her go," he answered her as he focused back on her face. "I regretted it after, and I trained hard so that I would be worthy to be by her side again, but I should have just stayed with her in the first place and saved the both of us a lot of grief. Look, the point is that I did something wrong because I believed that it was what was best for her at the time."

"I think I understand why you did what you did, Renji Onii-chan," Masumi replied slowly with a thoughtful expression on her face. "But what does this have to do with my uncle and me?"

"Your uncle believed he was doing the right thing at the time because he really loved and cared for your mother, just like how he loves and cares about you" he answered with a sigh. "He just learned too late that he was going about everything the wrong way, but he has been trying to make up for it ever since."

Masumi thought carefully about Renji's words.

_I still love Byakuya Oji-sama because even though he may not have wanted me then I'm sure that he loves me now. I think Renji Onii-chan is right and that I have to just remember how he feels about me now…_

"I'm not saying that it was ok, but you need to understand that fear sometimes makes us do stupid things," he continued earnestly as he knelt down next to her so that he could look at her eye to eye. He was probably misinterpreting her silence as disbelief. "In the end he admitted his mistake to your mother and promised her that he would take care of the both of you. Your mother understood, and forgave him."

_My mother forgave him… If my mother was able to forgive him then I guess that I can too…_

"Thank you, Renji Onii-chan," she said as she abruptly wrapped her arms around him in a big hug. She felt him stiffen from surprise from her sudden embrace, but he relaxed and patted her tentatively on the shoulder as he listened to her words. "I think you've told me what I need to know."

Suddenly, she felt something click, and her mother's words to her in her dream suddenly made sense.

_Isamu must have only just realized who I was when he saw me in our Zanpakutou's world. That must be why he reacted so badly after he spoke to me…_

"Renji Onii-chan!" she blurted suddenly as she abruptly pushed him away from her so that she could look into his face. "I need to go to the human world right now!"

"What!?!" Renji yelped in surprise as he stared in shock from hearing Masumi's sudden request. "You can't go to the human world. I thought you understood the danger! Your unc…"

"I know, I know, Renji Onii-chan," she interrupted impatiently as she stared intently at him with a very determined look on her face. Renji was worried now because anytime Rukia got that look that was now on her daughter's face it meant that nothing short of dying was going to stop her. "Byakuya Oji-sama explained to me about our reiatsu going out of control and everything, but we were just babies then. We're all grown up now so it should be alright."

"Masumi you hav…"

"Besides, mother told me to go to Isamu so it must be okay for us to be together now!" she continued, not even giving Renji a chance to interject. She started to speak faster as she got more excited about her idea. "You have to help me! I'm sure my mother would have wanted you too!"

_What does she mean? How could Rukia have told her it was okay for them to be together?_

"Masum…"

"Please, Renji Onii-chan!"

Renji stood up abruptly so that he could look down at her. He had a hard time being strict with her, but this was too big of an issue for him to be lax about it.

"No, Masumi," he told her sternly as he looked down at her. He saw her mouth open to argue with him some more, but he immediately cut her off. "If you go to the human world you will endanger everyone else and the Soul Society will do what it has to keep everyone safe. I can't let you do it."

_Also if the Soul Society feels that you and your brother are a threat then they will take steps to get rid of both of you._

Renji watched her take a deep breath, but he started speaking before she could get a word out.

"No, Masumi," he repeated with his arms crossed in front of his chest. "You need to listen to me for once and forget about going to the human world. You might be able to go there later, but you can't right now."

"But Renji Onii-chan, Isamu needs me right now! Mother told me so and you know Byakuya Oji-sama would never let me go…"

Her words trailed off as she stared at Renji's grim expression.

"I know the Captain wouldn't let you go and I would agree with him completely about that decision. Besides, I think you have a lot of issues to work out with your uncle. Running away won't make it better…"

"But I'm not running away!" she protested desperately as she grabbed the front of his shuhakusho. "I know I have things that I have to work out with him, but I can do that later! My mother told me that I…"

"No is no, Masumi" Renji repeated firmly even though her pleas made him want to give in. He was a little unnerved that she seemed to believe that her mother had somehow told her to go to the human world, but he decided that maybe she was just delirious from whatever happened to her earlier. "Come Masumi, I'll take you home to rest instead."

Renji watched Masumi's face fall as she realized that he was completely serious and that nothing she could say would change his mind. He expected her to argue with him some more, but instead she turned abruptly and ran back out the open window that she must have come in.

"Masumi!" he cried out as he ran after her.

"Damn it!" he muttered under his breath as he realized that she had used shunpo to make a hasty getaway. She had learned shunpo from her uncle when she was only six, so she was incredibly fast. The only person who was probably better at shunpo than her was Yoruichi. "It's at times like these that I wish she wasn't so damned talented."

* * *

_I'm a murder…_

The thought haunted Isamu as he floated in a pool of darkness. He remembered laying on the hard ground of the cemetery with the rain pouring down on him, but he couldn't remember anything after that. He didn't know why he was afloat in this vast black sea or even where this place was, but it seemed like an appropriate prison for him to suffer in. The guilt from his crime of being born caused his heart to hurt so badly that it felt as if it had been pierced by someone's Zanpakutou.

_Why did I have to be born? Why did you have us Mom? Why…?_

"Isamu…," a familiar sinister voice whispered to him in the dark, interrupting his bleak thoughts. "Isamu…"

He tried to ignore it, but the voice kept whispering his name insistently into his ear.

"Isamu…"

_Leave me alone…_

"Open your eyes, Isamu…"

_I don't want to…_

"Come on, Isamu…"

"Leave me alone," he whispered harshly as he finally cracked one eye open to look at the source of his annoyance. When he was finally able to focus, his gaze met his negative image leering down at him. "I don't want anything to do with anyone right now."

"Oh, how can you say that, Isamu," he replied with a huge grin, he had a look of eager anticipation plastered all over his face. "Now that you know the truth, I feel like we're closer than ever."

Isamu didn't answer him. He simply closed his eyes and tried to sink back into the blissful oblivion he had managed to escape to in the cemetery next to his mother's grave.

"But you didn't escape, Isamu," his negative self whispered into his ear in answer to his unspoken thoughts. It was almost like he was plucking them out of the thin air. "You came to find me instead. You stepped into my half of our world when you let yourself sink into despair… How else would I be talking to you now? "

"I don't care…"

"Don't care? Oh, come on, Isamu! It's a wonderful thing that you're here," he continued blithely on. "Don't you want to know why it's…"

"I said I don't care!" Isamu screamed at him as he swung his arm violently towards the sound of his voice, his bracelet immediately changing into his Zanpakutou and flying into his hand. "Just leave me alone!"

His negative self simply leapt back with a cruel and mocking laugh, and simply stood staring at him from a few feet away. A truly evil looking black grin graced his disturbing blank white face.

"My, my… Why are we so touchy?" he said in a voice that sounded like he were patronizing a three year old having a tantrum. "Could it be we're a tad upset about killing our own mother?"

"Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!" Isamu screamed in rage as he shot up from the ground and made a wild slash towards his negative twin's head. "Just shut up! Or else I'm going to make you shut up!"

"Tch, tch, tch…" his negative twin chided as he easily side stepped Isamu's attack. He waggled a scolding finger back and forth as Isamu adjusted and swung his sword towards the side in an effort to cut him in half. His negative twin merely moved quickly out of the way again while he laughed at his roar of frustration and anger. "Temper, temper, Isamu! What would our mother think about you behaving so badly..."

"She. Is. Not. Your. Mother!"

Isamu sprang again and again at his negative self, but his rage prevented him from thinking clearly enough to make an effective attack. His evil doppelganger just kept dodging every strike he tried to make while he taunted Isamu about his mother and her death.

"What's a matter Isamu?" he said calmly as he dodged all of Isamu's attacks with ease. "Shouldn't someone like you be able to easily defeat me? Or is it because you don't really care about our mother as much as you say you do? After all you did kill her, so maybe your love for her is a lie."

Isamu just gave an incoherent roar of rage and rushed his negative twin blindly. He was so worked up that he almost lost his head to his negative twin when he suddenly materialized his own Zanpakutou. He managed to dodge in time, but a small cut appeared on his cheek and blood began to drip down the side of his face.

"What the hell!?!" Isamu said in shock as the stinging pain from the slice on his cheek cleared his mind.

"What a disappointment," his doppelganger sighed in mock resignation as he casually leaned his sword against his shoulder. "I was hoping to get you so mad that you wouldn't even notice when I tried to cut your head off, but that's ok because killing you as you pathetically try to fight back will be much more interesting."

"If you wanted to kill me, why didn't you do it at the very beginning?" Isamu demanded as he rearranged his stance to a more defensive one. Now that his mind was clear he realized that he had stupidly left himself wide open in his enraged attempts to kill his evil twin. "Besides, I thought you wanted me to join you the last time we spoke."

"Where's the fun in killing you off without making you suffer first?" he replied with a cruel leer. "I did need you to join me the first time we met because I can't escape from this place without you, but when you appeared here another option opened up for me because if you die then I can take over completely."

"I don't understand… How does killing me enable you take over anything?"

"Oh, that's right! How could I forget?" his doppelganger replied with an overly dramatic slap to his forehead. His face was arranged in a sympathetic expression, but his eyes seemed to gleam with eagerness for another opportunity to say something hurtful to him. "The people that you care about still haven't told you everything about yourself yet."

"What are you talking about?" Isamu asked him as his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "My father told me everything about my mother and what happened to her."

"Ah, but he didn't tell you everything that you needed to know about you," he replied as he jabbed a finger in Isamu's direction, his expression once again turning cruel. "He didn't get around to explaining about me… the hollow that lives in you."

"What are you talking about?" Isamu asked faintly, the tip of his sword lowering a bit as he absorbed his inner hollow's words. "How can you live inside me? I'm a shinigami! The same as my mother and my father! I couldn't have something like you in me! It's impossible!"

"Poor deluded Isamu," his inner hollow said with a heartless little laugh. "Still trying to believe that everything about you is normal when you should just accept that nothing about you is."

"Shut up! You're just making stuff up to throw me off again!" Even though his words sounded certain, Isamu couldn't help, but feel a small bit of doubt creep into his heart. "Besides, how would you know all of this stuff anyway when I didn't even know any of it!"

His inner hollow ignored him and began to count things off on his fingers.

"Your father is a freak with his own inner hollow; Urahara sensei used your mother for his own ends; and you're a threat to the existence of both worlds. I could go on and on!"

"My dad's inner hollow… Urahara sensei…" he replied as his face began to turn paler with every new secret that was being revealed to him. "I've never seen…he never said… or mentioned… anything like that…"

"I guess, since our father hasn't had to use it in all this time, that maybe he simply didn't bother to mention it to you, but I wonder about that," his inner hollow answered smoothly as he moved closer to Isamu. "Seems to me that it's more likely he was hiding the truth from you again. My, my, what a horrible father we have."

"No," Isamu said softly as he backed away in confusion from his inner hollow. He completely lowered his guard as he shook his head in denial. "No, I don't believe you… He wouldn't have kept it from me… or he must have had a good reason to… I… I…"

"Isamu watch out!"

Isamu jerked his head up at the sound of the panicked voice behind him in time to see his inner hollow bearing down on him. Isamu didn't have enough time to defend himself. He saw his inner hollow's triumph written all over his face, but just before his hollow's Zanpakutou sliced him in half, a bright light shined behind him as a huge sheet of ice blasted his inner hollow away from him. Isamu could hear him growling in frustration as he used his sword to block the icy blow.

"Damn you!" he cried out as he leapt away from the leading edge of the ice mountain that had tried to engulf him. "How the hell did you find your way here?"

"Get away from him!" a familiar crystal voice ordered. Isamu turned and although he still could not see her face clearly because of the bright light behind her, he could now at least hear the voice of the woman in white clearly as she called out to him. "Quickly Isamu, you need to get out of here."

Isamu didn't hesitate. He had so many questions, but he knew that now was not the time to ask. He made a mad dash towards the white exit way as he heard his inner hollow scream in frustration behind him.

"You are not getting away from me that easily Isamu!"

He glanced back in time to see his inner hollow shatter the barrier of ice that blocked his way and shoot his own sheet of ice at him with his Zanpakutou. It was exactly the same as the blast that had saved him except it was a mountain of black ice that was catching up to him.

"Tsugi no mai… Hakuren!" the woman in white cried as she shot another blast to intercept the one that was right on his heels.

It collided with his inner hollow's attack with a deafening crash as the two walls of ice met and crumbled into dust behind him. He made a wild leap through the opening and could hear his inner hollow's shriek of frustration and anger as the opening he just dove through closed.

Isamu sat on the snow covered ground with his heart beating a mile a minute, his body still tensed for battle.

"Are you alright Isamu?" the woman in white asked as she knelt by his side. She laid a gentle hand on his shoulder and Isamu reached his hand across to grasp hers while his gaze remained transfixed on the empty white space that had been his escape route.

"I'm okay, I'm okay," he muttered quickly as he nodded his head a little too rapidly in agreement. He was breathing hard from his battle and he clutched the woman in white's hand tightly in his, almost as if she were a lifeboat keeping him from drowning.

"I'm glad that you're okay, Isamu."

Isamu felt her hand suddenly disappear from his grasp and he turned a startled face towards her in time to see her vanish in a flurry of snow.

"No! Wait! Please don't go!" he cried out desperately as he reached a hand beseechingly out towards her. It seemed insane that he didn't want her to leave when just a minute ago he didn't want to be with anyone, but for some reason she made him feel safe and whole. "Don't leave me alone!"

"I'm sorry Isamu." Her voice whispered through the air as she vanished completely from his sight. "I want to stay, but until you find your sister I can't completely join with you."

"Wait… please wait…," he begged one last time before a final flurry of snow blinded him and everything went dark.

* * *

Ichigo laid his son gently on his bed and started to pull his shoes and wet clothes off, but the moment Isamu touched the sheets he started moaning and thrashing about.

"Isamu… Hey! Isamu!" Ichigo said as he tried to restrain his son's flailing arms. "Isamu… it's okay. It's me. It's Dad…."

"Kurosaki…," the worried voice of Orihime called out as she rushed in and went to the opposite side of the bed from him. She tried to lay a gentle hand on Isamu's forehead, but his flailing arms slapped it away before she could even touch him. "What's the matter with Isamu? Why is he like this?"

Ichigo opened his mouth to answer, but just then Hikari's frightened voice interrupted them.

"Mommy? What's a matter with Isamu Onii-chan?"

They both looked over to see her peeking into Isamu's room from the hallway. Her eyes looked huge in her pale face as she worriedly bit her bottom lip. Ichigo could see her doll clutched tightly to her chest.

Orihime instantly stood up and hurried towards the door to comfort her daughter. Ichigo was about to tell Orihime to take her to Yuzu, but Isamu's reiatsu suddenly changed and his attention was instantly jerked back to his son.

"No…," he whispered to himself as he realized why he was having such a hard time restraining him. He looked at his son's face and could see the beginnings of a hollow mask begin to form over his head.

"Fight it Isamu!" he shouted as he tried to hold him down, but it wasn't working with him still in his human body. He had his badge on him, but he couldn't get to it and restrain Isamu at the same time.

_How the hell is this happening with him still in his body? Shouldn't this only be happening when he's outside of it?_

"Kurosaki! What's happening?" Ichigo spared a quick glance at Orihime who was clutching Hikari tightly – both of their eyes were wide with fear and confusion.

"Run Orihime! You need to get out of here and get the othe…"

Ichigo never had a chance to finish. Suddenly Isamu let out a hollow like scream. Ichigo was blasted back by huge explosion of reiatsu. He flew violently backwards and hit the wall behind him hard enough to crack the plaster. He lay on the ground in a daze until Hikari's scream instantly brought him back to his senses.

"Hikari! Orihime!"

Ichigo looked up in time to see Isamu with a hollow mask that was half black and half white with a jagged lightning bolt pattern on each cheek, leap towards Orihime and Hikari with his Zanpakutou.

"Santen Kesshun, I reject!"

Orihime's shield appeared just in time as Isamu's Zanpakutou was about to strike them. He let out a horrifying scream and started hacking savagely at Orihime's shield created by her Shun Shun Rikka. She was holding back his attacks for now, but Ichigo could see her sweating from the effort to maintain it after each strike. Hikari was cowering in fear behind her mother's back, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Isamu stop!"

Ichigo used his badge and leaped forward as soon as his spirit was free from his body. He got in between Isamu and Orihime and blocked his next strike. Isamu's yellow eyes glared at him hungrily as he screamed in defiance into Ichigo's face.

"Wake up Isamu! You need to stop this!"

Ichigo shoved as hard as he could against Isamu's sword and managed to send him flying into the opposite wall. Isamu hit it hard and he lay on the floor, momentarily stunned. Ichigo's mind churned as he tried to figure out a way to stop him without harming him.

_What do I do? I can't let him go on like this, but I don't want to hurt him either…_

Ichigo tensed as he watched Isamu recover from his collision into the wall. He gave one last shake of his head and then he launched himself full force towards Ichigo. Ichigo shifted his weight and prepared to use the flat side of Zangetsu to try and knock him out when he heard a voice suddenly shout out from right behind him.

"Bakudou 61, Rikujoukourou!"

Six rods of light materialized out of the thin air and slammed into Isamu's middle. He tried to break free, but he was utterly immobilized by the binding spell. He let out a scream of frustration as he struggled mightily against his imprisonment.

"Tessai… Urahara… everyone…," Ichigo sighed in relief as he turned to face the search party that was crowding into Isamu's room. Tessai, who had cast the binding spell, was standing next to Ichigo and Urahara was coming around him. Uryuu had a sobbing Hikari in his arms while he helped Orihime to her feet and wrapped an arm around her waist. His father was in the doorway and he could see Karin, Yuzu and Jinta behind him in the hallway. "Thank goodness, you guys are here."

"Are you and Hikari alright, Orihime?" Ichigo asked as he turned to look at the Ishida family. Orihime was holding Hikari now and murmuring comforting words to try to stop her tears, while Uryuu was rubbing her back.

"We're fine, Kurosaki," she replied as she leaned against Uryuu for support. "But what can we do to help Isamu?"

"This is highly unusual," Urahara mumbled to himself as he moved closer to Isamu who gnashed his teeth and screamed at him. "Ichigo, what happened before he transformed? Was he hurt? Was he in a battle?"

"No, none of those things seemed to have happened," he answered as he stared helplessly at his son who was still struggling mightily against his bonds. "I just found him on the ground in the cemetery – unconscious. He had a fever and a few scratches, but that was it."

"He transformed while he was still in his body and unconscious…," Urahara murmured to himself as he studied Isamu critically. "I've never seen this happen to any Visored before, Ichigo, which is bad enough, but what's worse is that we didn't get a chance to explain to Isamu what's happening to him."

"So what does that mean?" he asked impatiently as he glared at Urahara, his concern for his son making his temper extremely short. "You know what, I don't care. I just want to know how are we going to fix him?"

Urahara peered from under his green and white stripped hat with solemn eyes.

"How did you gain control of your inner hollow Ichigo?"

Ichigo was brought up short as he thought back to the days he had spent training with the other Visoreds at the start of the Winter War.

"I confronted my inner hollow and defeated him…"

"Exactly," Urahara replied as his gaze returned to studying Isamu who was still straining against his bonds. "It's the only way for any Visored to gain control of their powers and it's the only way Isamu can return to normal."

Just then Isamu let out a particularly violent scream and flexed mightily against the rods of light imprisoning him. Cracks began to appear in each of the restraints.

"This isn't good Ichigo," Urahara replied worriedly as he peered closer at Isamu. "If we can't figure out a way to return him to normal soon then we'll have no choice, but to kill him."

"No…" Ichigo stared at Urahara in horror as the full impact of his words him.

"He's about to break free and if he's anything like you then nothing is going to be able to contain him. Besides, if he stays this way for much longer then he'll remain a hollow permanently and we'll have no choice but to…"

"No, damn it!" he shouted angrily as he pointed a trembling finger in Isamu's direction. "That's my son! There has to be another way t…"

Isamu suddenly gave a deafening scream and shattered the bonds that held him. He turned a savage glare towards everyone in the room as his muscles tensed in preparation to attack all of them. Everyone leaped back and prepared to do battle, but something flickered in his eyes and Ichigo realized that it was his eyes changing back to their normal violet shade. Isamu suddenly gave a low moan and started to fall. Ichigo dashed forward to catch him before he could hit the ground. Just as his arms wrapped around him the mask around his head shattered and fell to pieces onto the floor.

"Isamu…," Ichigo choked out in relief as he cradled his son's unconscious body close to him. As he held him tightly, Ichigo could swear that he felt the faint presence of his late wife surrounding him, but the moment that he had the thought the feeling disappeared.

_I don't know if that was really you Rukia, but if it was… thank you… thank you…_

* * *

Thanks for reading!

Reviews are always appreciated and really keep me going!


	11. Chapter 11: Onset

This chapter is a little short, but I hope to make up for it with the next one. Please enjoy!

Disclaimer: Bleach is unfortunately not mine!

* * *

**Chapter 11: Onset  
**

Deep in a secret lab under Squad 12's barracks, Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi sat with a huge toothy grin on his odd black and white face. The entire room was encased in darkness and the light from his monitors was the only thing visible. He had waited and planned for this moment for ten years, and now it seemed like fate had finally presented him with an opportunity to collect the data he had longed for since the twins were born.

_Yes, this is excellent, _he thought as he tapped a long five inch finger nail on the arm of his chair. He had been monitoring their progress ever since their mother had been pregnant and he'd been sorely disappointed that he wasn't able to collect them immediately after their birth. _The wait is finally over…_

He had surveillance equipment set up throughout the Seireitei, so it was a simple matter for him to follow the events that had unfolded today. He pressed a button and images began rapidly flitting across the screen as the computer ran through all the cameras on the system. He watched for several minutes until it finally stopped and showed him Masumi sitting alongside a river just on the outskirts of the Seireitei near the north gate. She was staring blankly at the rushing water with her arms wrapped around her knees.

_I hope she's not planning to jump in, _he mused as he studied her eagerly. _It would be highly inconvenient if she dies before I can arrange for those two little brats to finally meet. I've been waiting ten long years to finally get the data that I need so that I can see if I can duplicate their power for myself. _

"Nemu," he called out to the darkness surrounding him. Nemu Kurotsuchi, Lieutenant of Squad 12, suddenly materialized like a ghost at his side. "I need you to get Project 5462 started while I go select the sample to use, and be quick about it. We don't have much time to implement my plan."

"Yes, Mayuri-sama," she replied with a small bow as she dissolved back into the darkness to carry out his wishes.

Captain Kurotsuchi got up and strode purposefully toward a large, seemingly blank wall. He quickly tapped a few places on its surface. Each point he touched momentarily glowed and made a small beeping sound. When he was done the wall slid open with a cold blast of air and revealed a huge storage area with countless vials stored in it. Each one was labeled with a number and most of them were full of some sort of dark liquid, although there were a few empty ones here and there.

"Now, where did I put it," he mumbled thoughtfully to himself as he scanned the numerous samples. He had spent years collecting these because you never knew when such things would come in handy. He was missing some of the more interesting subjects, but he knew he just had to be ready when the opportunity presented itself to collect them. "Ah, that's right. I put him with the more dimwitted specimens."

He finally reached up and plucked a small vial from the middle section of the wall, pressed a button to close everything up and then went to meet Nemu in the lab.

* * *

Masumi sat alongside the river, lost in thought. She needed to figure out a way to get to the human world before anyone could stop her. She desperately needed to come up with a plan to get there, but she couldn't come up with a single useful idea. Time was her biggest enemy because she had to come up with a plan quickly before Renji or her uncle could raise any alarms and make it impossible for her to leave.

_I can't use the Senkaimon at home because even if I could trick the guards, Byakuya Oji-sama would still catch on and probably stop me. The ones that are available for everyone else to use have long since been sealed, and I have no clue how to break it… _

"Aarrrrhhgggg!" she moaned in frustration as her mind came to one dead end after another.

_Come on, Masumi! Think! _

She drew her knees up to her chest and rested her chin atop them while her mind spun in circles. She thought and thought, but she was unable to come up with any useful ideas.

"There must be a way,"she mumbled as she drew the picture of her mother and father out from the folds of her clothes. Luckily, she had remembered to grab it before she had left her room. She gently touched their smiling face with her fingertips. She had never met either of her parents, but she knew that they had been a formidable team that overcame countless hurdles together. _What would the both of you have done?_

Masumi gazed at their smiling faces intently, wishing that they would suddenly speak and give her a clue as to what she should do, but they remained silent. As she studied their photo, she suddenly realized something that hadn't occurred to her until this moment.

_If I find a way to pull this off I'll be able to see my father as well as Isamu – I'll finally be with the rest of my family…_

She gripped the picture a little too firmly in her hand and creased it a little as her mind raced even more desperately for a good idea. She held on tightly for another minute or two before she sighed and loosened her grip on the photo. She smoothed out the wrinkles as best as she could and then gently tucked it back into the folds of her clothes.

_Sorry Mother, Sorry Father… I didn't mean to almost crush you to pieces. I'm just frustrated that I can't figure this out…_

Masumi lifted her head to the sky and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath, cleared her mind and went back to the original problem.

_If only Renji Onii-chan had believed me. I'm sure that he would have helped me if he felt that I was telling the truth and not simply being a… a… deranged lunatic._

Masumi sighed once more as she buried her face into her knees. She hadn't realized how much she had expected Renji to simply drop everything and help her when she told him her mother had instructed her to go to the human world to help Isamu.

_I really thought that he would believe me, but I could tell by the look on his face that he thought I was just being crazy._ _I guess if explained myself better it would have sounded even worse. _

Masumi rubbed her face roughly as that particular conversation played itself out in her head.

_Renji Onii-chan, my dead mother visited me in a dream and told me to go save my twin brother from certain doom! _

_How did I find out about all of this, you ask?_

_Well, I had a vision after I collapsed today and met my twin there. I got all depressed and lost when he acted like he hated me, so then Byakuya Oji-sama had to save me from being lost in a sea of darkness. After I was saved I had another dream that included my mother instead, and she told me that I needed to go save him._

_Why would she have me do something so dangerous, you ask?_

_Because it mustn't be dangerous for me to do! Although I collapsed, almost lost my soul forever, and could have died today, I'm sure that I'm perfectly fit enough to run away, break all the rules of the Soul Society, and quite possibly die…again._

"Thank goodness, we didn't have that conversation or else he would have locked me up before I could even shunpo out the door," she mumbled bitterly. Her eyes began to fill with tears as doubts started to form, but she shook her head back and forth violently to clear them away.

_No, I refuse to start thinking that I imagined everything. I know my dream was real - she was real. And I met Isamu in our Zanpakutou's world, not in a dream._

Masumi abruptly stood and dusted herself off.

_Something is wrong with Isamu, _she thought with conviction. _And I have to find a way to get to him no matter what._

SPLASH!

The sudden noise caused Masumi to jump back and look wildly around for its source. She tensed herself for battle, but relaxed when she suddenly heard a familiar voice behind her.

"You're going to have to do better than that if you're going to the human world, Masumi," Renji said as she whirled around to face him. "If you daydream like that you're going to end up getting hurt."

"Renji Onii-chan?" Masumi asked as she stared at him in utter confusion. She thought that he might find her because she expected him to chase after her, but she thought it would be to stop her – not to encourage her to go. "What are you talking about? I thought you told me that I needed to stay here."

"I know that's what I said back in your uncle's office, but after you left I decided that it would be better to help you now, instead of leaving you to get into trouble by yourself," he said with a shrug. "Besides, if Rukia really visited you in your dreams then I guess everything must be okay now."

"But I don't understand…" she replied, feeling incredibly thick witted and slow because of the shock from his sudden change of heart. "You were really against me going anywhere near the human world. Why did you change your mind?"

"You're just like your mother," he replied with a sigh. "I recognized that look on your face just before you left and I knew that nothing we could do would ever stop you, so I decided to take the proactive approach and help you out. Besides, why are you being so suspicious? I thought you'd be happy with my change of heart."

"I am happy, Renji Onii-chan, but …"

"Masumi," he interrupted. "Do you want my help or don't you? Because we're wasting time, if Isamu really is in trouble, then we need to hurry or else we'll miss our opportunity to leave once your uncle realizes what's going on."

"We?"

"Yes… we. You don't think that I'd let you go off on your own when you have no experi…"

Masumi didn't give Renji a chance to finish. She flung herself at him and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Thank you, Renji Onii-chan! Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"Alright," he replied awkwardly as he proceeded to loosen her arms from around his neck. He was blushing bright red. "You don't have to get all emotional about it."

Masumi beamed happily, although a small, nagging feeling of uncertainty remained about his sudden change of heart.

_I'm probably just being paranoid…_

"So how are we getting to the human world?"

"I know a little secret," he replied with a smug grin.

* * *

Isamu could hear voices speaking in hushed tones next to his bed. He tried to focus on what they were saying, but his tired mind refused to translate their words into more than just noise. He tried to open his eyes instead, but they felt as if they had been glued shut. Slowly, with a lot of effort, he managed to pry one eyelid open.

_It's so dark. I wonder what time it is._

He turned his head towards the voice that he finally recognized as his father's.

"Dad?" he croaked feebly. That single word felt like sandpaper sliding up his throat. "What happened to me?"

"Isamu… Thank goodness, you're awake. How are you feeling?" Ichigo responded, immense relief evident in his voice and face. Isamu managed to turn his head a little to the other side and saw his grandfather, Isshin Kurosaki, peering worriedly at him. _What happened? I don't think I've ever seen such a serious look on Grandpa's face before. _

He was starting to panic about what could be wrong, but before he had a chance to really think about it, big fat tears began to roll down his grandfather's cheeks. He instantly scooped Isamu up in his arms and started crushing the life out of him as he started to wail.

"Isamu! My darling little grandson! Pappy was soooo worried about you!"

Isamu would have screamed in agony as his grandfather reinjured all his injuries, but he was squeezing him so hard that there wasn't any air left in his lungs to scream.

"Will you get off of him you stupid old man!" his father yelled as he punched his grandfather in the face and sent him flying. Isamu took in a big gasping breath as soon as his grandfather's grip loosened. He was still gasping as his grandfather smash into the wall. "I thought you waited in here with me to help – not make things worse!"

_Okay, maybe I was over reacting to Grandpa's expression because that was definitely a normal reaction…_

"How are you feeling?" his father asked again as he sat down and turned a concerned face towards him.

"Not too good," Isamu replied as he struggled to sit up, but his father gently pushed him back down. He wanted to resist, but every muscle in his body ached and throbbed so badly that he had no choice, but to let him do it. "I feel like I was hit by a truck and then an elephant came over and sat on me."

Isamu saw his father hesitate for a moment before he spoke. "Do you remember anything about what happened to you?"

Isamu blinked slowly and tried to remember. His mind felt incredibly fuzzy and he wanted nothing more than his numb thoughts to remain incoherent, but since his father asked, he tried to clear his head and comply with his request.

"I remember running away from Urahara sensei's shop after you told me about Mom," he started slowly, his gaze unfocused as he thought back. "I ended up in the cemetery next to Mom's grave and then everything after that is a bit of a blank right now…"

"I see…," his father answered with a frown.

"What happened to me, Dad?" he asked as his gaze focused on his surroundings and he took in the broken walls of his room. "How did I get here? And why is my room so messed up?"

"I'm sorry, Isamu," his father began as he ran a hand through his unruly orange hair. "This is all my fault. I messed up when I tried to explain everything to you about your Mom… me… everything."

"It's alright, Dad," Isamu replied as he reached a hand out to his father. His father grasped it firmly in his and Isamu meant to say something comforting, but his own guilt and bitterness overrode his good intentions. "I know you had to tell me the truth and there's no easy way to tell someone that they killed their own mother."

His father instantly got an extremely pained look on his face and Isamu instantly wished he could take his words back, but before he could reply his grandpa suddenly sprang up behind his father and shoved him as hard as he could into the wall.

"What the hell do you think you're doing you stupid ol…," his father began to yell, but he trailed off as his grandpa began to speak.

"Isamu, do you really think that's what happened?" he asked seriously as he sat on the bed next to him. "Do you think you and your sister murdered your own mother?"

"Of course we did," Isamu replied quietly as tears threatened to spill from his eyes again. "How else do you explain the fact that we're here and she's not."

"You're both here because your mother was an amazing woman – just like your grandmother. And like your grandmother, she gave her life because there was nothing in this world that she wanted to protect more than you and your sister."

"She made the wrong choice. She's the one who should still be here…"

"But it's the choice she made, Isamu," his father interjected as he went to the other side of the bed and sat down. "She knew what she was doing and she loved you and your sister more than anything in this world. She gave you everything because she wanted both of you to have your chance at life."

"But I can't take it," Isamu sobbed into his hands. "I can't take the fact that we're here and she's not. I can't… I just can't…"

"Isamu," Ichigo said gently as he grasped his hands and pulled them away from his face. Isamu looked up, stared into his father's eyes and saw his own pain and sadness reflected in them. "It's not your fault. You can't blame yourself for something that you had no control over. Your mother would never want you to take the blame for her choices."

Isamu closed his eyes. _Everything Dad says makes sense, but I can't stop feeling the way I do… I just can't…_

"Thanks, Dad, Grandpa," he finally said after a lengthy silence. "I know you're trying to make me feel better, but I think I just need to be alone right now."

Isamu heard his father give a heavy sigh. "Isamu, there's just one more thing I need to talk to you about before we go…"

"What is it, Dad?"

"You asked me about why your room is so messed up and I didn't answer you," he replied. "I wish I could wait to talk to you about this, but I waited too long to tell you about your Mom and I'm not going to make the same mistake twice. I just want to know one thing before I start explaining everything to you. Have you seen him?"

"Seen who?"

"Your inner hollow."

* * *

Thanks for reading! Sorry to leave it hanging like this, but I promise that the next chapter will really get them started on their way.

Reviews are always appreciated and really keep me going.

BTW I could not for the life of me think of an appropriate title for this chapter so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know. Thanks!

Thanks to Freelancer Seal Boy for the title for this chapter! It really fits!


	12. Chapter 12: Almost Home

Thanks for your patience! I've finally gotten a chance to finish chapter 12 and hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Bleach is sadly not mine!

* * *

**Chapter 12: Almost Home**

Byakuya sighed as he stared quietly at the memorial pictures of Hisana and Rukia. He was still contemplating what he should do about Masumi when his thoughts were suddenly interrupted by the panicked cries of Kiyomi Shimada, Masumi's lady–in-waiting.

"Byakuya-sama! Byakuya-sama!" she shouted frantically, her eyes wild with panic as she ran towards him. Icy daggers of fear pierced his heart as he saw her fear stricken face rushing closer. She was so upset that she tripped over her own feet and went flying forward. Byakuya quickly moved to her side and caught her before she could hit the ground.

"Kiyomi," Byakuya asked calmly as he helped her steady herself. He managed to keep his voice even, but his heart was beating a mile a minute as he wondered what could have happened. "What is the matter?"

"Oh, Byakuya-sama!" she gasped out as she turned her anxious face towards him. She gripped his arm tightly as she tried to speak between huge shuddering breaths. "Masumi-sama… is gone! I-I… just took… her dinner to her room… and she's not there. I ordered the staff to search the grounds, b-but…"

His eyes narrowed as he absorbed her words and he immediately cast his senses about, feeling for her reiatsu, but he could not find her anywhere.

_Where could she have gone? _Byakuya wondered as his eyes widened in fear when he realized that her reiatsu was nowhere to be found in the Seireitei. _If I cannot sense her then she is either hiding or someone is hiding her from me._

Byakuya felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach as he wondered if she was kidnapped, but he readily dismissed it because he was sure that there would have been a commotion that would have alerted him or the guards. Masumi was a fighter, and she was trained well enough that if someone tried to take her she would be able to defend herself effectively.

_That means that she must be hiding from me, _he concluded as the fear subsided and a different kind of ache took its place in his heart. _I've hurt her so much that she could not stand to be here anymore._

His heart felt as if it were about to shatter into a thousand pieces the moment that he had that thought, but he held on to his stoic face as he quickly tried to figure out what to do.

"Kiyomi, did you or anyone on the staff notice anything unusual before you realized that she was gone?"

"No," she said as she swallowed hard to try to calm her breathing. "I knew she was upset because…, well, for some reason, but I thought she needed some time to herself to calm down."

_I should have been more mindful of her instead of just telling her the truth and then leaving her to deal with it all alone! _Byakuya thought in disgust. He was angry at himself for thinking mainly of himself and not taking better care of her, but he immediately pushed those emotions aside because it would not help him bring her home.

_I need to find her quickly,_ he thought worriedly. _She is not used to being out on her own and she could easily get hurt._

"Kiyomi, go and search with the rest of the staff. I will see if I can track her down."

_I have to admit that I would never have expected her to run away from home, _he thought as he finished helping Kiyomi to her feet.

"Yes, Byakuya-sama, we will do all that we can to find her," she answered hurriedly as she gave him a quick bow and left to join them.

_Masumi would not have left simply because she was upset, _he finally concluded as he watched Kiyomi disappear around the corner_. She always faces her problems directly, and it seems so out of character for her to just leave. _

_Masumi is a lot like Rukia in that way because Rukia never ran away from anything_, he thought as he started to stride purposefully towards her room

_Except from you, _a small, insidious voice whispered into Byakuya's mind. _You were the only thing that Rukia ever had to run away from and now Masumi has left… just like Rukia._

He mentally shook himself and pushed that unhelpful thought aside. _I do not have time to indulge in anymore self pity, _he decided firmly. _It is thoughts like these that led to this situation in the first place._

At that moment, he reached her room and carefully stepped around the food and dishes that were scattered in front of the door.

_She must have had a reason to leave so suddenly. The key is to figure out why._

* * *

Masumi chased Renji through the woods that surrounded the north Rukon district. She had no idea where he was leading her, but he had reassured her that he knew of a way to get them to the human world without alerting anyone.

As they made their way between the trees, she almost lost him a couple of times as they used shunpo to move quickly through the thick woods. She was using all her energy to keep up with him, but he would still disappear from her sight every now and then. She was surprised that she was having such a hard time keeping up with him because even though Renji was really strong, she was usually a little faster than him at shunpo. Today she was barely able to keep up with him.

"Where are we going, Renji Onii-chan?" Masumi asked when they paused for a moment. This was the tenth time she'd asked that question since they'd left the river. She normally would have been a little more trusting of her closest friend, but he didn't want to give her a straight answer and something about the whole situation made her feel uneasy.

_I can't put my finger on it, but something seems a little… I don't know… off._

"Will you stop bugging me about it already, Masumi?" he replied impatiently without even looking back at her. He suddenly leaped to the left and she had to scramble to follow him. "I've already told you that we'll be there soon."

"I'm sorry Renji Onii-chan, but I just don't understand why you won't tell me where we're going or how we're getti…"

Masumi got cut off in midsentence when Renji stopped all of a sudden and she ran into him. He was twice her size so running into him was like hitting a brick wall. She bounced off of him and almost fell over.

_What is wrong with me! _Masumi scolded herself as she grunted in frustration at her clumsiness. _Can't keep up with Renji Onii-chan, falling down left and right… I hope it's just because I'm still recovering from passing out earlier._

"Why did you stop, Renji Onii-chan?" she demanded a little snappishly. She instantly regretted being so sharp with him, but she was tired and feeling very out of sorts.

"It's because we're already here," he replied as he ignored her tone and turned towards her with a huge smirk on his face. He walked towards a thick wall of bushes and moved aside some of the branches to reveal an old overgrown trail. He gestured for her to go through the opening that he'd made, but she hesitated for a moment because the path seemed very foreboding for some reason. "Hurry up and go through before someone happens by and notices us."

Masumi looked doubtfully around at their surroundings for a moment because she seriously didn't believe that anyone would just 'happen' to come by this place unless they were specifically looking for them.

_I was concentrating so hard on keeping up with him that I didn't realize how far we had gone in to the forest._

In fact, he had taken her so deep into the forest surrounding the north Rukon district that she wasn't sure if she'd ever be able to find her way back to the Seireitei by herself.

_It makes me a little nervous to know that I might not be able to find my way back home, _she thought worriedly as she glanced behind her at the thick wall of trees. _Plus nobody else knows where I am..._

Her eyes flickered to Renji's impatient face and then back to the entrance to the path.

_This is stupid, _she thought as she swallowed back her nervousness. _I decided that I wasn't going to go back until I fixed everything in the human world with Isamu, so why am I hesitating? Besides, this is Renji Onii-chan, my best friend and big brother from the time I was born. He wouldn't do anything to hurt me._

Despite her faith in her decision and Renji's friendship, she still couldn't shake the feelings of unease that had been with her since he had suddenly shown up by the river.

"Hurry, Masumi," he urged her as he glanced nervously around. "If anyone finds us then you won't ever have another chance to do this."

That jolted her into making a decision. Whether or not she trusted Renji Onii-chan, he was right. This was probably the only opportunity that she would have to do this and if she wanted to help Isamu, meet her father, and see the human world she knew that she had to act now.

_I committed myself to this path when I ran out of Byakuya Oji-sama's office and I will see it through. _

Then she took a deep breath and started down the dark, mysterious path towards her future.

* * *

"My inner hollow…," Isamu repeated quietly as he stared at his father in shock and disbelief. Deep down inside he knew all along that his inner hollow had been telling him the truth… or at least some version of the truth, but it was still a shock to hear his father mention it openly. "So it's true then. I… we really do have monsters inside of us."

His dad shook his head vigorously back and forth in denial. "It's not a monster, Isamu," he replied evenly. "It's a part of who we are – an important part of who we are – and we have to learn to accept it and control it."

Isamu gave a shaky laugh that started to turn a little hysterical towards the end. "But don't you see Dad? This just proves my point that Mom shouldn't have had me. She didn't have this thing inside her did she?"

"No, she didn't Isamu, but that doesn't mean that…"

Just then his grandfather reached a hand out and grasped his father's shoulder. Ichigo stopped in midsentence and turned to face him.

"Ichigo, I think you should leave Isamu alone for a little while," he said as he stared intently at his Dad's face. They seemed to have communicated something silently to each other because after a moment his father sighed and nodded in agreement. His grandfather clapped his father on the shoulder and then Ichigo stood and headed towards the door. He shot one last worried glance at him before he left.

Isamu watched his grandfather with a guarded expression because he expected his grandfather to try to talk to him about what happened, but instead he settled himself into the chair next to his bed and proceeded to take a nap.

"What are you doing, Grandpa?" he asked incredulously as he blinked in confusion. He knew his grandfather was goofy, but the last thing he expected was for him to take a nap by his bed. Especially after everything that had just been going on.

"What does it look like I'm doing, Isamu?" he asked without even opening his eyes.

"It looks like you're going to take a nap, but aren't you going to try to talk to me about all this stuff?"

"Do you want me to talk to you about 'all this stuff'?" he asked as he cracked one eye open to study his face.

"No…, not really, but…," Isamu muttered, his feelings of self pity and guilt temporarily overshadowed by his confusion with his grandfather's nonchalant behavior.

"Well, then I'll be right here when you want to talk about it," he answered as he closed his eyes and settled back down into the chair. "But until then, I'm going to use this as an excuse to take a nap without having your Dad constantly nagging me to do more work."

Then he seemed to fall instantly asleep because he started to snore – loudly. Isamu could only sit on his bed and stare at his grandfather in amazement for a few seconds.

When Isamu finally snapped out of his daze, he had an overpowering urge to poke his grandfather or push him over just to see if he was really sleeping, but he just shook his head and chuckled softly to himself instead.

Even though he still felt bad, the burden of his guilt and remorse seemed to ease a bit.

_Trust grandpa to come up with the weirdest way on earth to make me feel better, _he thought with a small sigh.

Isamu thought that he would get up and maybe straighten his room, but now that everything was quiet again, his body felt like lead and all of his aches and pains reminded him that he was still hurt. In a way, he was a little bit afraid to go back to sleep because of all the encounters with his inner hollow when he was unconscious. He tried to keep his eyes open, but eventually his battered body and tired mind won and he drifted back to sleep.

* * *

As Masumi hurried down the path, she had to lift her arms to protect her face from the mass of leaves and branches in her way. They poked and scratched her, but she plowed through with conviction and ignored them the best that she could. When she reached the end of the path and emerged from the leaves, she tripped over a hidden root and sprawled flat on her face with a bone jarring thump.

"Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow," she chanted as she picked herself up from the ground. Her hands and knees were scraped badly and were really stinging, but she ignored her discomfort and pushed herself up from the ground.

Once she was standing, she found herself staring at what looked like the ruins of an old house. It was a dilapidated wreck because the walls of the house had huge holes blasted through them and there were only remnants of the roof. The house was almost completely destroyed, but the destruction seemed to have happened quite a while ago because the entire structure was covered in moss and vines.

_What is this place?_

She heard the rustling sounds of Renji making his way through the bushes behind her and she turned to face him.

"I don't understand, Renji Onii-chan," Masumi said as he emerged from the bushes and began picking leaves and sticks off of him. "Why are we here at this old house? How are we going to get to the human world from here?"

"This old place used to belong to a scientist named Ran Tao," he explained as he grabbed her hand and began to tow her towards the old broken down home. "She was responsible for the creation of a race known as the Bount who survived by feeding on human souls. I think I told you this story before because your father was the one who defeated their leader, Jin Kariya."

"Yes…," she replied, her face screwed into an expression of intense concentration as she thought back. She tripped over her own feet this time, but Renji's grip on her hand kept her from falling. "They were able to live forever, right? Just as long as they kept absorbing human souls."

"That's right, but anyway, their creator Ran Tao came to live here after the battle with them was over. She and the last existing Bount named, Go Koga. They both tried to stay out of the war, but eventually Aizen posed such a serious threat that they both emerged from hiding to help us."

As Renji finished his story, they reached a pile of rubble in the back of the building. Renji let go of her hand and began digging through the mound of rocks and dirt in front of him.

"What happened to them?" Masumi asked as she watched him unearth an old cellar door. It was gray and worn with a large rusted lock on the front of it. She watched him give a few experimental tugs on the old lock, but it seemed as if it was still pretty solid. "I don't remember ever hearing about them in any of my lessons about the Winter War."

"They were helping us research a way to destroy the Hougyoku, but Aizen had them both killed and demolished their home before they could finish their research," he explained as he tugged at the lock a little harder. "It's a shame, but I guess because they were such a small part of the whole war they got lost in the sea of facts that needed to be documented."

"That's so sad, Renji Onii-chan," Masumi whispered, tears started to fill her eyes at the thought of these two being forgotten by everyone. "Everyone should be remembered by someone..."

"Fortunately for us, Ran Tao's lab was left untouched," he continued on as if he hadn't heard her. Masumi feelings of pity were instantly replaced by indignation at being ignored, but before she could say anything Renji braced himself and stomped a hole through the brittle wood of the doors. It splintered easily and the entire thing collapsed inward with a loud bang. A huge cloud of dust erupted from the opening and Masumi had to cover her mouth and nose to keep from coughing. "She needed access to the human world so she created her own Senkaimon to travel through. I only know about it because I was one of the first to arrive here after the initial destruction and I didn't reveal it to anyone else."

"But I don't understand," Masumi interjected once she stopped choking on the dust from the door. "If you knew about it then why didn't you let anyone else know? I'm sure they would have wanted to investigate her research if she was doing something as important as…"

"So many questions, Masumi," Renji interrupted as he grabbed her hand again and began to lead her down into the cellar as the dust began to settle. "We need to hurry if we want to get to the human world before anyone finds us."

Masumi resisted Renji's insistent tugging on her hand and stopped before she entered the cellar.

_Something isn't right, _she thought as she stared intently at Renji's face. He looked worried, anxious, and… annoyed. Like he didn't really want to be here dealing with her, but he had to be. _Renji Onii-chan never gets annoyed with me and he always answers my question. He would never ignore me when I'm trying to say something._

She opened her mouth to ask him what was going on, but he spoke before she did.

"Masumi," he said as his expression did an about face and softened into a look of concern. "If you've changed your mind and decided that you don't want to do this then I completely understand. I'll take you home and then you can work all of this out with your uncle instead."

All of Masumi's misgivings flew from her mind at the thought of returning home and giving up on helping Isamu and meeting her father. "No! I haven't changed my mind, Renji Onii-chan. It's just that…"

"Well, what are we waiting for?" he said with a reassuring smile as he started down the stairs again. "Let's go."

He tugged at her hand again and this time she followed him down the stairs.

* * *

Isshin Kurosaki feigned sleep as he snuck a glance at his grandson who was laughing quietly to himself. It made him feel happy to see Isamu smiling again even if it was only for a few moments.

Isshin knew that Isamu needed an explanation as well as training to get his inner hollow under control, but neither was going to do him any good until he dealt with his own inner turmoil about his mother.

_Like father, like son, _he mused to himself as he listened to the sounds of Isamu settling back down into bed. _They both take forever dealing with this type of thing._

He relaxed after a bit when he felt that Isamu had actually fallen back asleep, but he still remained alert because although he was here because of his concern for his grandson, he was also here just in case Isamu's inner hollow took over again.

He felt a lump rise in his throat as he remembered the moments just before Isamu returned to normal. He knew that Ichigo wouldn't be able to take the steps necessary to keep Isamu from harming everyone until it was too late, and for a few seconds Isshin had to seriously consider stepping in and taking the life of his own grandson.

_I'm glad that it didn't come down to that, _he thought with immense relief as he looked down at Isamu's sleeping form. _I hope I won't have to face that choice ever again._

Urahara had called him after Isamu had run away from the shop, but he had actually been on his way there before that. He suspected what might be wrong when Ichigo hastily excused himself from their meeting and dashed out the door.

_I should have intervened sooner, but I was hoping that Ichigo had grown up enough to take care of this himself._

He sighed as he recalled the mess they had to sort out after the initial crisis was over.

Hikari had been hysterical and you could see the torment in Orihime's face as she tried to decide what to do. She really wanted to take care of her daughter, but at the same time you could see her concern for Isamu. In the end Ichigo and Uryuu convinced her that there was nothing more she could do here, so she finally went home with the rest of her family.

Yuzu and Karin had come in and helped to clean up the mess while Kisuke and Ichigo had an argument about what to do with Isamu. Urahara had wanted to take Isamu back to his lab and see if he could figure out what was happening with Isamu's unusual transformation, but Ichigo was vehement about keeping him at home. They had argued about it for a while, but in the end Urahara gave in after Ichigo conceded to taking a few precautions.

Karin, Jinta and Ururu were told to stay here so that they could help if Isamu lost control again and they had erected a barrier around the clinic to try to keep him contained. It probably wouldn't stop him for long, but it should be enough slow him down so that it would give help enough time to arrive.

Urahara had gone back to the shop with Tessai to analyze the data that he had. He had instructed them to get him immediately if there was any change in Isamu's condition at all. The three guards were currently downstairs having one of Yuzu's wonderful home cooked meals.

_Wish I was down there with them, _he thought ruefully as he inhaled the wonderful aromas coming from the kitchen downstairs. _Isamu's a decent cook, but nothing beats one of Yuzu's family dinners._

Isshin had actually wanted Yuzu to return home to Urahara shoten where it was safer for her, but she had insisted on staying to help. Taking care of people was what she did best and she couldn't leave her nephew when he was in so much pain.

_She's a lot like her mother in that way, _he mused. Isshin was worried about her safety, but he was sure that Karin & Jinta would take care of her.

_In a way I guess it's good that she's here because she can also run and get help if things turn really ugly. I just hope Ichigo knows what he's doing. It's risky keeping Isamu here where there are so many regular humans around._

Everyone had been amazed that Isamu had been able to return to himself with no prior warning or training regarding his inner hollow. Ichigo had been prepared for his confrontations with his inner hollow and he had barely been able to conquer it. The only explanation for the fortunate turn of events had come from Ichigo who - although no one else in the room had been able to sense it - had insisted that Rukia had somehow saved Isamu from himself.

As far as Isshin was concerned that was a good an explanation as any because nobody else could come up with the reason why Isamu would suddenly revert back when he was already so far gone.

_I just hope that stupid son of mine isn't expecting some sort of miracle; _he thought as he leaned back in the chair and looked out the window. _I know that deep down inside that he's still waiting for Rukia to show up again one day._

Isshin would never admit it out loud, but he worried about Ichigo just as much as he worried about his daughters. He had lost his wife, Masaki, early and he could understand Ichigo's pain. He had always regretted his inability to save Masaki, but he also had been able to accept her passing and move on.

Ichigo seemed stuck.

He would usually say all the right things about accepting Rukia's death, but he would sometimes slip and say or do something that showed that he was still waiting for her.

_Doing things like going to Isamu's room every other night because he thinks that he feels Rukia there._

Just then he thought he saw a familiar flash of orange go by the window.

"What the hell?" he mumbled to himself as he stood up and headed to the window. The rain had stopped a while ago, but there were still puddles here and there. He looked carefully up and down the dimly lit street, but he didn't see anything. _It couldn't have been Ichigo…_

"He would have told me if he needed to leave," he mumbled to himself as he started to head back to his seat by Isamu's bed, but as he turned he thought that he caught a glimpse of a familiar looking face peeking around the lamppost across the street. He turned back and to get a better look, but the face had disappeared.

* * *

Masumi concentrated and created a small glowing ball of her reiatsu so that they could find the Senkaimon in the cellar. It seemed as if she had to concentrate harder than usual to get it going, but she finally managed it after a few seconds. Her eyes took a minute to adjust to the dim lighting, but Renji was already deftly making his way through the room without the benefit of her light.

"Renji Onii-chan," she called out as he started to disappear from the edge of her circle of light. "Wait, please!"

As she hurried after him, her eyes finally adjusted to the dimness of the room and she could vaguely make out an assortment of lab equipment, vials, and some computer terminals on wooden tables. Everything was coated in a thick layer of dust and she could see a lot of debris on the floor. Although she had to gingerly pick her way through the mess on the floor, Renji seemed to have no trouble, and despite the darkness he seemed confident as to where he was going.

She finally caught up to him at the very back of the lab where he was busy activating a very old, rickety looking Senkaimon.

"Is this thing still working, Renji Onii-chan?" she asked doubtfully as she touched the door frame of the Senkaimon. Her hand came away covered with dirt and some old cobwebs. "It looks like nobody has used this for years."

"Have a little faith, Masumi," he reassured her as he continued to work on the gate. "This thing might look unreliable, but Ran Tao was an excellent scientist and I'm sure this thing was well built."

Just then a faint humming noise started to come from the gate and the doors began to glow. Masumi felt her excitement start to build as she realized that this ancient looking gate actually worked and that soon she would be reunited with her brother and father. She felt a small pang of guilt as her thoughts shifted briefly to her uncle.

_He must have realized by now that I'm gone, _she thought as she worriedly chewed on her lower lip. _He must be so frantic and upset._

"Ok, Masumi," Renji Onii-chan called to her as he held a hand out for her to take. "It's ready. Let's go."

Masumi looked at Renji's extended hand and at the gate. She knew she had to follow through with this, but she made a silent promise to her uncle before she took Renji's hand and stepped through.

_I promise that I'll be back, Byakuya Oji-sama, _she vowed. _I'm still your Masumi and I promise I'll be back once I take care of everything Mother asked me to do._

* * *

Ichigo walked upstairs with a tray that Yuzu had insisted on making him take up to their dad. He had muttered something about the old man being perfectly capable of getting his own damn food, but Yuzu had scolded him and made him feel bad enough to finally relent and take it upstairs to him.

_Besides, _he thought, _I guess this gives me a good excuse to check on Isamu._

He reached his hand out to open the door, but just before he touched the knob, the door opened and he came face to face with his dad who had a very concerned look on his face.

"What's a matter Dad?" Ichigo asked in surprise as his father brushed past him. "Where are you going?"

"Good timing, Ichigo," his father said as he headed towards the stairs. "I have to go check on something. Can you stay with Isamu for a while?"

"Sure, but what's going…," his father disappeared down the stairs. "…on?"

* * *

Masumi found herself staring in wonder at everything around her. She had heard stories and seen pictures in books, but nothing could compare with actually being in the human world for the first time.

_It's so wonderfully different, _she thought as she slowed to get a better look at the city surrounding her. She looked into shop windows, stared at huge glowing signs, and took in all the different, colorful clothing and people. As she walked over a bridge, she paused for a moment to watch the big, shiny metal box looking things speed this way and that beneath her. _Cars… I think that's what they're called… cars…_

"Masumi!" Renji called to her as he jogged back to get her. He must have only just realized that she wasn't following him because he was quite a distance away. "What are you doing? We have to hurry."

"I'm sorry, Renji Onii-chan," she said as she turned her excited face towards him. "I didn't realize that the human world would be so amazing in person."

"Yeah, I guess it is kind of overwhelming the first time you're here…," he said as he reached out to grab her hand. He continued talking to her as he grasped her hand in his, but a different voice began to whisper in her ear and his words seemed to fade away into the background.

"Masumi," a familiar melodic voice said, it was so soft that the sound barely tickled her ear before it faded away.

"Masumi...," the voice whispered again and this time she pulled her hand out of Renji's and started to head in the direction that the voice seemed to call her from. She vaguely heard Renji shouting something at her as she dashed off, but she was so mesmerized by the sound of that beautiful crystalline voice calling her that she hurried away without a second thought.

"Masumi, we're here…," it called to her again and again. "…and we're waiting…"

_Whose we? _She wondered as she used shunpo to practically fly through the darkened streets of the city. In the back of her mind something reminded her that she should be a little more wary about strange voices beckoning her in the middle of unfamiliar territory, but she ignored it. This voice reminded her of home for some reason, and she truly felt from the bottom of her heart that whoever or whatever this was, it didn't mean her any harm.

"Masumi…"

She only paused once in a while to listen carefully so that she could be sure that she was going in the right direction. The first couple of times that she stopped she didn't even pay attention to her surroundings, but eventually she began to notice that every time she paused people standing nearby would suddenly gasp and start pointing at her.

"Look at her!"

"Where did she come from? She just seemed to appear out of nowhere!"

"Why is she dressed so strangely?"

After overhearing a few of their comments, Masumi hurried on and made sure that the next places she stopped had no one around.

_Why can they see me? _She wondered as she continued to follow the voice through the darkened streets. _I thought that most humans didn't have enough spiritual power to see a Shinigami like me._

It bothered her a little, but the voice called out to her again and she forgot about it as she continued her search for the source of the voice beckoning her.

A few moments later she reached a large building with a sign in the front that said Kurosaki Clinic.

"Kurosaki Clinic," she murmured to herself as she started walking towards it. _This must be where the rest of my family lives_, she thought as she headed towards the front door. She meant to go right up to the door and knock, but she was almost immediately stopped by a barrier. _Why is there a barrier set up here?_

Masumi stepped back to study the barrier blocking her way and realized that it surrounded the entire clinic. It was a really good barrier because she couldn't sense anything happening inside of it and when she pushed against it with her reiatsu it didn't even quiver.

She was about to investigate the rest of the area surrounding the clinic when she noticed movement by a window on the second floor. Instinct took over and she immediately hid herself behind a nearby pole.

_Wait, _she thought incredulously as she tried to slow her pounding heart. _Why am I hiding? Isn't meeting my family the whole reason that I'm here?_

She peeked around the pole for a second and then immediately pulled back again. She always thought that she would feel happy and excited to be reunited with her family, but all she really felt right now was nervous and a little afraid.

"Masumi…," the voice called to her again and this time it was loud and clear. She looked around frantically for the speaker, but didn't see anyone. Suddenly her necklace began to grow warm and she could feel waves of power begin to emanate from it. She grasped it with her right hand and could feel it vibrating with energy.

"Masumi," it repeated, she could swear that the speaker was right behind her although she still couldn't see anything. "Can you hear me? Do you remember my name?"

"Your name?" she whispered as she felt the power of her necklace thrum through her whole body. "Are you my Zanpakutou? I've tried to call you using my mother's Zanpakutou's name, but it's never worked. You've never told me what your real name…"

"You know it, Masumi," her Zanpakutou answered patiently. "I _am_ your mother's Zanpakutou and more. I couldn't emerge before, but now I ca…"

Just then a horrendous scream rent through the night and interrupted her communion with her sword. Masumi blinked in shock and confusion for only a moment, but it was long enough for the hollow that had materialized next to her to grab her.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid! _She thought as she was lifted high into the air by a hollow with muddy brown skin and a frog like mask. _I forgot to hide myself so that I wouldn't attract any hollows._

The hollow squeezed her tight in its huge meaty hand and she screamed in pain as she felt one of her ribs snap. She struggled uselessly against its iron grip and stared in horror as it opened its huge gaping maw to devour her whole.

_No! _She thought vehemently as her fear turned into anger. She pushed mightily against the hollow's grip and finally managed to wiggle one of her hands out of its grasp. Her arms were firmly clasped against her sides so her hand was sticking out towards the ground. _I'm so close to being reunited with my family! I am not going to let it end like this!_

"Hadou 31, Shakkahou!" she shouted as she directed her palm towards the hollow's feet. The fiery blast exploded violently beneath her and knocked him over. Unfortunately, it also blasted her back and knocked the wind out of her as she landed hard against the ground. She forced herself unsteadily to her feet and she could see the hollow struggling to his only a dozen feet away from her. He glared at her and screamed in pain and anger as it finally got itself upright.

Her heart beat furiously in her chest and every gasping breath she took hurt terribly, but she lifted her hand and mentally readied another spell. She was about to cast it before the hollow could get too close, but her attention was distracted again by her necklace as it pulsated rhythmically against her skin.

"Release me, Masumi!" the wind chime voice of her Zanpakutou cried. "Quickly! You know my name! It's…"

"Sode no Shirayuki…," Masumi whispered as she grasped her mother's keepsake in her hand.

"Mai! Sode no Shirayuki!"

The moment she spoke her necklace burst into a million particles of whirling snow. It flowed around her in a blinding whirlwind that condensed into her hand and reformed into a long, flowing snowy white ribbon. She was momentarily surprised by its appearance, but she snapped out of it as the hollow ripped the pole she had been hiding behind from the ground and threw it at her. She leaped to the side just before the pole slammed into her, and it crashed into a cement wall instead. Sode no Shirayuki began whispering instructions rapidly into her ear as the hollow screamed once more and charged towards her.

She held the length of the ribbon between her two hands and repeated the words that Sode no Shirayuki spoke.

"Some no mai, Shiro no Yaiba"

The ribbon instantly twisted itself into a narrow rod and particles of snow and ice collected around it until it formed a stunning white sword. Masumi only had a moment to marvel at it before the hollow was upon her and her attention was forced back to it.

The hollow brought its fist crashing down onto the pavement and she barely leaped out of the way in time. She dashed towards it, using her small size to her advantage, so that she could avoid its swinging arms. She quickly made her way behind him. Once she was at his back, she turned, slashing at the same time with her new found weapon and neatly sliced the hollow in half.

She collapsed from exhaustion as the hollow disintegrated in front of her. When she finally looked up, she found herself staring at an older man who was staring at her in amazement from the other side of it. He was tall with spiky dark black hair that had a few streaks of grey here and there. He had an unshaven face with brown eyes and was wearing some sort of loud, brightly printed shirt. He seemed to be frozen to the sidewalk because he only stood there with a mixture of shock and concern written all over his face.

"Masumi…," she heard him whisper in amazement. She tried to stand and ask him how he knew her name, but her vision blurred and the ground suddenly rushed up to meet her.

* * *

Thanks for reading! My Japanese isn't the greatest so this is the closest I could get to what I wanted to call Masumi's new move.

Shiro no yaiba - white balde

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Reviews are always greatly appreciated!


	13. Chapter 13: Reunion

Yay! I managed to get another chapter up. It's a bit short, but I hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: Bleach is not mine!

* * *

**Chapter 13: Reunion**

Isamu awoke slowly from his deep sleep as bright sunlight filtered through his closed eyes. He tried to get a few more moments of rest by squeezing his eyes tightly shut, but although he was exhausted, the warm light still managed to seep through and force his brain into consciousness.

_Is it morning already? _He wondered as he gave up all hope of some extra shut eye.

"I guess, if I can't go back to sleep then I may as well get up," he grumbled as he pried one eye open. It automatically snapped shut as the dazzling early morning sun blinded him. They adjusted after a couple of minutes, and when he was finally able to look around he became utterly confused as he realized that he was no longer in his room.

"Where am I?" Isamu wondered aloud as he sat up and slowly took in his surroundings.

He was sitting in the middle of a field of vibrant flowers. The sky above was a lovely shade of buttermilk blue with soft white, fluffy clouds. There were butterflies flittering all around and a gentle breeze blew past him, ruffling his hair. The fragrant scent of the flowers surrounded him and it helped to clear the last dregs of sleep from his mind. He leaned over and ran his hands over the carpet of green grass that he'd been sleeping on and immediately realized that he was able to move easily and that all of his aches and pains were gone. In fact, he actually felt refreshed and energized.

"Is this a dream?" he asked aloud as he reached out his hand to touch a nearby flower that was a blue so deep that it was almost black. A beautiful black butterfly with purple markings alit softly on his hand just as he touched its delicate petals. He raised it slowly to his face to get a better look at it, amazed at its beauty. "Or is this another part of my inner world?"

"In a way it's both, Isamu," a woman's voice answered behind him.

Isamu yelped in surprise and spun around quickly to face the speaker as the butterfly fluttered away in alarm from his sudden movements. He tensed for battle, but immediately froze in shock instead when he realized who it was.

"Mom…," he whispered with quiet disbelief. "Is it really you?"

Her violet eyes seemed to glow with happiness as she looked at him and her raven black hair blew gracefully around her face as she stood calmly in front of him with a joyful smile. She was small and delicate looking, but she had an air of strength and confidence around her that belied her fragile appearance. She was dressed in the exact same yellow dress that she wore in his photo of her, but pictures apparently didn't do her any justice because, as far as he was concerned, she was a hundred times more beautiful in person.

"It's me, Isamu," she said as she opened her arms wide, inviting him in for a hug. "I've been waiting for a long to be able to see you again."

He took one tentative step towards her and then another. He was half afraid that she would disappear or he would wake up and this wonderful dream would be over, but as he made his way slowly towards her, she remained in the same spot waiting for him. It seemed to take forever, but at last he came close enough to reach out a trembling hand to her. She met him halfway, and as soon as her soft, strong fingers grasped his, he felt all of his fear and doubts disappear and he dove toward her.

"Mom!" he shouted as he tripped over himself and fell into her open arms. She caught him carefully and they sank together to the ground while he buried his face deep into her dress and began babbling uncontrollably. "Mom…, I missed you so much! I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! I wish I had died instead of you… I'm so sorry…"

He clung tightly to her while he continued to blubber apologies. He cried out all of his pain, his frustration, and most of all, his guilt in a torrent of tears and incoherent words. He knew that he was being hysterical, but he just couldn't seem to stop himself.

While he lost it completely, his mother simply stroked his hair and let him cry. He didn't know how long they stayed like that, but she just held him and murmured soothing things until he finally had nothing left and he felt empty and numb.

"Isamu," she said when his tears finally subsided. "You don't have anything to feel guilty about. In fact, I'm the one who should be sorry…"

"No, Mom," he interrupted as he pushed himself away from her so that he could look into her face while he shook his head vehemently back and forth. "You don'…"

"Isamu," she interrupted him a little sternly as she grasped his face between her hands to stop him from shaking it. "I want you to stop right there and listen to me."

Isamu was so surprised that he shut up.

"You and your father are so alike," she sighed as she let go of his face and brushed his unruly hair out of his eyes. "You are both so stubborn… and so intent on feeling guilty about the wrong things."

"But Mom…," he tried to continue, but she clamped her whole hand over his mouth this time and he stopped.

"Listen carefully, Isamu," she said as she grasped his face in both of her hands again and looked intently into his eyes. "I know that you feel like you're to blame for my death, but it was no one's fault. Not yours, not your sister's, not anyone's. It was something unfortunate that just happened. Even if I had a chance to do it all differently I never would because having you two was the best thing that I've ever done with my life."

Tears welled up in his eyes and he tried to speak, but his mother frowned a little and he stopped. His father and his grandfather had been trying to tell him the same thing, but it was different hearing it directly from her. They could have been simply telling him things to make him feel better, but he could tell by looking at her face that this was how she really felt.

"I'm sorry that I had to leave you… all of you alone, but it is what it is and nothing can change that. You need to keep moving forward and live your life the way it's meant to be lived. The worst thing you could do is to give up and stop living your life because you think you don't deserve to."

The knot of pain and guilt finally loosened as he gazed into her sincere, loving eyes and her words touched his heart. He felt so many things all at once that he had no idea what to say. He was happy to hear his mother's warm words, relieved to know that she didn't blame him, and even a bit sheepish that his behavior had been so bad that his mother had to somehow come back from the dead to scold him.

"I'm sor…," he began again, but his mother almost instantly interrupted him.

"Uh-uh," she said with a shake of her head and a small teasing smile. "I love you Isamu, but if you say 'I'm sorry' again I'm going to have to start talking to you like how I usually talk to your father… by slapping you around."

Isamu blinked in surprise at her teasing tone and words. She was just like he imagined in some ways and a little bit different in others. _Dad never mentioned this side of her to me…_

"No more apologies Isamu," she continued. "Just go forward and become stronger. That's more than enough for me."

Isamu nodded his head and almost stupidly blurted out another apology, but he caught himself as his mother eyed him sternly with a small frown. He rubbed the tears from his eyes instead and murmured, "Thanks, Mom."

She smiled at him then and drew him close in a warm hug. He joyfully hugged her back and breathed in her clean wonderful scent. Her warmth filtered through his entire being and he felt almost whole again.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," he told her, but upon hearing his words his mother gave a small, sad sigh and hugged him a little tighter.

A disappointing thought crossed his mind and he felt the hot prickling of tears building up in his eyes again. He brushed them away impatiently because he wanted to be strong for her, but the thought hurt him more than he could ever imagine.

"This is just a dream… isn't it Mom? You're not really here and I'm going to wake up and everything that you just told me is something that I just made up to make myself feel better..."

"Like I said before, Isamu," she answered as she let go of him so that she could look into his face. "This is a dream, but I'm really here and I'll still be here in your inner world - in your heart - when you wake. When you finally meet with your little sister you will both learn the truth about your Zanpakutous and everything that's happening now should start to make sense."

"Why can't you tell me now?" he asked in confusion as he rubbed the last of the wetness away from his eyes. He was relieved to know that this wasn't just a dream, but he didn't know why his mother couldn't just explain everything to him right now. "We're both here and we have time to talk. Can't you…"

"There isn't much more time for us to talk, Isamu," she interrupted as she glanced around a little nervously. "I managed to arrange this meeting area for us, but I can't keep him out much longer."

"Keep who out?" he asked, but before his mother could answer a rumbling sound interrupted them and the ground beneath their feet started to shake violently. A huge crack suddenly opened up right below them, like a gaping maw that was trying to swallow them whole. Isamu quickly grabbed his mother and leaped out of harm's way.

"Isamu!" his mother shouted at him, the rumbling noise had become deafening as the crack in the ground continued to grow. "You need to wake up right now!"

"No!" he shouted back at her as the dirt inside of the crack suddenly exploded outward. The spray of dirt and rocks obscured everything for a moment, but as it finally started to clear the sight that greeted him from below made him hug his mother tightly to him.

His inner hollow stood atop a huge mound of debris where the beautiful field of flowers had been. He was grinning maliciously up at them, his Zanpakutou already in his hand.

"No!" he repeated, shaking his head. Fear for his mother's safety causing his heart to race wildly in his chest. "I'm not going to leave you here all alone!"

Isamu landed with a jarring thud a few dozen feet away from his evil mirror image. His mother somehow managed to land more lightly next to him and immediately stood after she hit the ground. She moved slightly in front of Isamu so that she was partially blocking him from his inner Hollow's view.

"I found you," his inner hollow said in a singsong voice that managed to sound happy and sinister at the same time. His face was smiling, but his eyes seemed to be two burning yellow flames of hate. At first, his gaze was all for Isamu, but he soon noticed Isamu's mother next to him and the evil grin on his face got even wider. "Why, Isamu, you've found our mother! I was wondering why I was having such a hard time finding you in here. How convenient! Now I get to kill both of you at the same time!"

Protective anger welled up inside of him as he tried to move in front of her to block her from his view, but his mother suddenly pushed him back and moved so that she was solidly in front of him. He fell with a jarring thud on to his butt from the force of her shove. He never realized that his mother was so strong.

"Mom! What are you doing?" he shouted at her as he scrambled to get up.

"Wake up Isamu," she repeated as she turned her determined face towards him. "You're not ready to face him all on your own because you haven't fully accessed the power of your Zanpakutou yet. You and your sister need to be together for you to be able to do that. I was only able to talk to you now because she is in the human world and is almost at the clinic."

"But I can't leave you to face him all by yourself! You gave up all your powers for us! He's going to kill you!"

"He's only trying to bait you into getting into a fight with him," she answered impatiently as she blocked him from moving towards his inner hollow. "He can't hurt me Isamu, but he _can_ hurt you so you need to leave… NOW."

He ignored her words and tried to move around her again, but she suddenly shoved him again - hard. Caught off guard, he stumbled backwards and found himself falling into a dark pit.

"Mom!" he shouted as he tried to stop himself from falling, but there was nothing for him to grab on to. The light from the opening of the pit rapidly began to dwindle as he fell further away from her. "Mom!"

"I'll be fine, Isamu," he heard her say just before the world was swallowed by darkness. "Find your sister…,"

* * *

Ichigo placed the tray on the desk next to Isamu's bed, and looked back at the closed bedroom door while he wondered what the hell was going on.

_What was the old man so worked up about that he had to dash out like that? _Ichigo wondered_, _but a loud explosion erupted from right outside the clinic before he could think about it anymore.

He looked out of Isamu's window in time to see a huge Hollow on the ground, struggling to get up. There was an enormous crater in the street where someone had released some sort of spell to repel the monster. Ichigo stared into the darkness to see if he could see who was fighting the Hollow, but there was too much smoke and debris still in the air.

_I wonder if this is why the old man rushed out of here so suddenly, _he wondered as he tried to see if he could feel the old man out there, but the barrier kept him from feeling anything outside its perimeter_. It must be him, but he's being extra noisy for a regular old Hollow._

He wondered briefly if he should go out and help him, but decided that Isamu was his priority and that the old fool was more than capable of handling a Hollow of this level by himself. He started to turn away from the window, but he whirled back around when he saw a flash of color out of the corner of his eye. It was a color he was intimately familiar with that he wouldn't expect to see anywhere, but in his own bathroom mirror. He rushed to the window and squinted out into the darkness. The smoke finally began to clear and he gasped in alarm as he got better view of the Hollow's opponent.

Long, bright orange hair was the first thing that he noticed and it took his shocked brain a moment to process what it could possibly mean.

_Masumi, _he thought in a panic as fear gripped his heart. He didn't know how he knew for sure that it was her, but it didn't matter. All that mattered at that moment was that his little girl was here with him in the human world and she needed him. He grabbed his Shinigami badge and released his soul from his body just as she got shakily to her feet.

"Masumi!" he shouted as he leaped out of the window and made a mad dash towards her. He watched her grasp her necklace in her hand and heard her shout a phrase that he never thought he would hear again.

"Mai! Sode no Shirayuki!"

He didn't wait to see if her Zanpakutou appeared or not. He drew Zangetsu from his back and ran towards them with an infuriated growl, but he was stopped short by the barrier that surrounded the clinic.

"Son of a bitch!" he shouted in frustration as he watched the Hollow rip a lamp post from the ground and fling it at her. He took a few steps back, raised Zangetsu and sliced violently at the barrier to try and break it.

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

A huge, crescent shaped wave of energy flew directly into the barrier, but it hit and was immediately absorbed by it. It was made to stand up to a direct attack by Isamu's hollow form, so it was apparently going to take more than his Getsuga Tenshou to break through.

"Damn it!" he shouted as he got ready to try again, but he stopped when he noticed Masumi standing in front of the Hollow with a beautiful, white sword in her hand. It looked like a smaller version of her mother's sword, but it was missing its long white ribbon on the hilt.

"No!" he shouted as the Hollow raised its meaty fist and tried to smash her flat. Ichigo felt his heart stop as he helplessly watched her barely leap out of the way in time. "Masumi!"

She didn't seem to hear him as she dashed forward and ran directly under it, sliding between the Hollow's legs like a baseball player stealing home, so that she could get behind it. Then, almost faster than he could follow, she turned and neatly sliced the Hollow in half with her Zanpakutou.

He stared at her in amazement as she collapsed to her knees in exhaustion. The fight must have actually been only a few minutes long, but to Ichigo it felt as if it had taken an eternity to finish. Right after she fell to her knees, he noticed his father stopping a few feet away from her with a dumbfounded expression on his face. He must have used the portal on the other side of the house to get out of the barrier to help her.

_The one that I should have remembered was there so that I could go help her, _he thought in disgust with his forgetfulness. At that moment Ichigo saw Masumi swoon and his father rush to catch her.

"Masumi!" he shouted again as he turned towards the portal in the barrier to get to her.

"Ichi-Nii!" Karin called out to him as she, Jinta and Yuzu came rushing out of the front door. "What's going on? We heard a huge commotion and…"

Her voice trailed off as she looked past him and saw their Dad holding Masumi in his arms. Her eyes widened in shock as her jaw dropped.

"Ichi-Nii…," she asked softly. "Is that who I think it is?"

"Oi! Karin! What's the matter?" Jinta Hanakari asked as he finally reached them with Yuzu close behind. "Why are you standing there like a dead fish with its mouth wide open?"

"Jinta," Yuzu began to scold him, but Ichigo didn't wait to hear the rest of their conversation. He ran to the exit on the other side and found it already open. The old man must have left it open in his haste to get outside and help Masumi. He dashed through and met them half way as they were returning to the portal.

"Masumi," Ichigo whispered as he stared in disbelief at the small, orange haired girl that his father held in his arms. Her Zanpakutou had returned to its original form and he could see the familiar star shaped pendant sparkling in the dim light. He reached his arms out tentatively and took her from his father. He half expected his father to do something idiotic, but for once the old man didn't say anything stupid and just let him take her.

_She looks just like her mother, _he thought numbly as he held her unconscious body close to him. His emotions still hadn't caught up to the shock of seeing her appear so suddenly before him. _Fights like her too…, _he thought with a feeling of pride as he held his precious little girl.

"Ichigo," his father said gently. He had been so engrossed in taking in the sight of his long lost daughter that he jumped at the sound of his voice. "We need to get her inside. She's been hurt."

"That's right Ichigo," Urahara Kisuke's voice drolly answered from above. Ichigo looked up to find him standing atop a nearby wall with Tessai standing next to him. "You should hurry and take care of her. What kind of father are you anyway?"

"Are you responsible for this, Urahara?" he demanded as he looked up at him. He meant for his words to sound angry, but it came out softer then he meant it to. Even though Masumi had been in danger, the joy of having her with him again tempered his tone. "Did you somehow bring my daughter back home to me?"

"I wish I could take credit for that, but unfortunately, I had nothing to do with it," he replied with a small frown as he jumped down from the wall and walked to their side. Tessai followed behind him like some sort of huge, silent shadow. "But let's get her inside the clinic so that we can treat her wounds… Besides, by the looks of it no one is in the house keeping an eye on Isamu right now."

Ichigo felt his heart sink as he looked around and realized that Urahara was right. Everyone was outside and no one was watching him. He dashed back into the house with Masumi still in his arms.

"Wait, Ichigo!" Urahara shouted after him, but he was so concerned about leaving Isamu alone that he didn't even pause. He went straight upstairs and almost broke Isamu's bedroom door down in his haste to get back there.

* * *

"Mom!" Isamu cried as he sat up abruptly in his bed, his heart pounding in his chest and his body soaked in sweat. He looked around in a panic until his brain finally registered that he was back inside of his room. He was alone and there was a tray of food sitting on his desk.

_Where is everybody? _He wondered as he slid to the side of his bed. It seemed unusually quiet and the food still seemed to be warm, so it couldn't have been there long. He was just about to get out of bed to look for everyone when his father suddenly burst into his room.

"Isamu!" his father cried out as he came in. He was breathing hard and he had a panicked look etched all over his face which eased the moment he caught sight of him sitting on his bed.

"Dad? What's wrong?" he asked in confusion. He started to get all the way out of bed, but he stopped when he noticed the small orange haired girl his father was carrying. Her clothes and face were dirty and she looked like she had been in a fight, but her face was just like he remembered her from his dream.

"Masumi?" he whispered as his conversation with his mother came rushing back to him. _It wasn't just a dream, _he thought in amazement, _Mom said she was close and now she's here. _"Dad… How did she… I mean, why is she…"

"I don't know, Isamu," he replied. Isamu stared in amazement at the tender, joyful look on his father's face that replaced his worried one. "But I finally have the both of you here with me and I…"

Isamu got unsteadily to his feet and started to walk towards them, but a gentle hand with a firm grip grasped his shoulder and stopped him from moving any closer.

"I don't think you should get too close to each other just yet Isamu," Urahara said as he pulled him back towards the bed. "We aren't sure how or why your sister is here and we don't want either of you to give the Soul Society a reason to take action against the two of you."

"I don't understand, Urahara sensei," Isamu answered. "Why would moving closer to Masumi make the Soul Society upset?"

Instead of answering, Urahara looked at his father and spoke to him instead.

"I thought you explained everything to him."

"I did," his father replied defensively. "But a lot has happened since then. You can't expect him to remember everything."

Urahara sighed and nodded his head. "Why don't you take Masumi downstairs to the clinic and treat her wounds while I have a little talk with him?"

Isamu watched him hesitate for a moment, but he finally nodded.

"I'll be right back, Isamu," he said as he turned to leave with Masumi. He turned his head and shot a glare at Urahara. "Don't tell him anything stupid or pointless, okay?"

"Kurosaki," he said with a small smile as he peered at him from under the rim of his green hat. "You know me better than that. You know I never say anything stupid or pointless."

Ichigo looked as if he was ready to change his mind about going downstairs without him, but as if on cue, Masumi gave a small groan and started to wake up.

"You better hurry, Kurosaki. She is going to be in a lot of pain once she's fully conscious."

Isamu watched his father shoot his teacher another look, but he turned around and headed towards the stairs. "I'll be right back."

Once his father was gone Urahara sighed and turned to face him.

"Have a seat, Isamu," he said. "I want to make sure you understand the dangers of having both of you here in the human world before you go to meet your sister."

* * *

It hurt to wake up.

Every muscle felt torn and there was a throbbing pain in her side that made Masumi wish that she was unconscious again, but despite all of that, she immediately realized that she was being carried by a pair of very strong, loving arms. They held her firmly, but gently and she could feel the person's concern for her through them. It was such a familiar sensation that she spoke without even thinking twice.

"Byakuya Oji-sama?"

The arms holding her stiffened and they stopped moving forward. They continued on after a second or two, but there was tension and anxiety in this person's grip now. This unexpected reaction to her words made her eyes snap open in a panic.

_Where am I?_

Adrenaline flooded her as she realized that she wasn't at home in Kuchiki manor and her surroundings were completely alien to her. She struggled for a moment against the arms that were holding her, but she stopped as the throbbing pain in her side multiplied and shot throughout her whole body.

"Masumi, it's okay," an unfamiliar male voice called out to her. Her head snapped up and she looked at the face of the person holding her. The sight of his face jogged her memory and the events from the past couple days came rushing back to her. Tears began to fill her eyes as she realized who was holding her.

"It's okay," her father repeated. "You're safe now."

"Father?" she asked as she gazed into eyes that were the exact same shade of brown as hers. His hair was a bit longer and shaggier then it was in the picture that she had of him, but it was still the same bright orange shade as hers. "Is it really you?"

His face softened then and the look of worry and concern was replaced with a small smile.

"Yeah, it's me," he replied as he continued on into a small room that reminded her of the Squad 4's examination rooms. "But you don't have to be so formal. You can just call me Dad."

He placed her gently on to an examination table and started grabbing some things from a nearby table.

"This is going to be a bit uncomfortable for you Masumi," her father told her as he started to clean her wounds with something that stung an awful lot. "But just bear with it for a little while, okay? As soon as Orihime is able to come back then she'll be able to heal you completely."

_Orihime? _Masumi wondered. _Who's Orihime?_

But before she could ask, a whole group of people came barging loudly through the door behind him.

"Ow, Dad!" a young woman with long black hair snapped at the older man who she had seen just before she had passed out. She turned to him and gave him a quick kick that sent him flying back out the door and into the wall. "Stop trying to push past me! Masumi is hurt and she doesn't need your stupid antics right now."

Masumi blinked in amazement at their behavior and temporarily forgot about her injuries as she stared in wonder at the colorful assortment of people in the room with her.

"Karin," the older man sobbed as he lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. "How could you be so cruel to your father? I just want to give my granddaughter all the love and affection that I haven't been able to lavish on her for over ten years…"

_Granddaughter? _Masumi thought as she stared at the man crying on the floor. She brightened as she realized what his words must mean.

"Grandfather?" she asked tentatively as she peered around her father who spared one exasperated glance for her grandfather before turning back to her to start examining her wounds. The young woman, Karin, stopped yelling at him the moment that she spoke and turned a startled look at her. "Are you my grandfather?"

"Oh, you don't have to call me grandfather, Masumi!" he shouted joyfully as he instantly stopped crying and started to leap gleefully to her side, his arms open wide like he was about to give her a bear hug. "Pappy is good or even…"

"I thought I told you that she was hurt you stupid old man!" Karin yelled as she gave him another kick that sent him flying out the door again before he could wrap his arms around Masumi. As soon as he was out, she slammed the door closed and locked it.

"Karin," a young woman with light brown hair chided as she made her way over to Masumi with a bunch of bandages and other medical looking things. "You don't have to be so rough on Dad. He's just really happy."

"He's been a doctor for like three million years," she muttered. "You would think he'd know by now that he shouldn't act that way towards an injured patient."

"Hi Masumi," the woman with the light brown hair said cheerfully as she started to help her father with her wounds. They were being really gentle, but she still flinched involuntarily every time they moved her. "I'm your aunt Yuzu and that's your aunt Karin over there. We're your dad's younger sisters."

"Yuzu Oba-sama and Karin Oba-sama," Masumi replied shyly. She felt nervous about suddenly meeting so many new members of her family so she fell back on her manners that had been ingrained in her since she was a baby. "It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm sorry for dropping in unannounced. I hope that I'm not intruding."

Everyone stopped doing whatever it was they were doing and just stared at her.

Masumi felt her face heating up and turning red under their intense stares. _I don't understand… Did I do something wrong?_

"Did I say something strange?" she mumbled as she averted her eyes from theirs.

All of a sudden her father burst into laughter and she looked up at him, completely startled.

"Well, I guess you can definitely tell that you've been raised by Byakuya," he chuckled as he started wrapping a bandage tightly around her broken ribs. Masumi took in a sharp breath as he continued to minister to her wounds, but she still felt embarrassed and slightly confused by their reactions.

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand…"

"You don't need to be so formal, Masumi," Yuzu Oba-sama explained kindly as she grasped Masumi's hand after she handed her father some cloth for him to clean her wounds with. "We're your family and you don't need to be so polite."

"That's right," her father said after he finished placing a bandage over a scrape on her cheek. "You're home with your family and we love you even though this is the first time we've met since you were a baby. It's ok to relax and be yourself."

Masumi looked up uncertainly at him. "I'm home?"

"Yup, and we've all been waiting for you," Karin Oba-sama added as she joined them at the table.

Masumi looked at each of their smiling faces and she felt tears begin to well up in her eyes.

"I'm home, Father" she told him as she closed the small distance separating them and wrapped her arms around his neck. She felt her father's surprise at her sudden hug, but he almost immediately got over it and wrapped his arms gently around her.

"Welcome home, Masumi."

* * *

A dark shadow stood dispassionately outside of the barrier surrounding the Kurosaki Clinic and thought about what it should do. Its master had ordered it to gather data about the twins, but since the girl and the boy were now both behind the barrier it was unable to retrieve any information. It thought that the Hollow would flush the boy out of hiding when it attacked the girl, but to its disappointment the father and grandfather had emerged instead.

It puzzled over what to do next as it watched the grandfather seal the barrier behind everyone and enter the house.

There was no rush now that both of them were in the human world. It would take the Soul Society a few weeks to figure out what happened and prepare themselves to retrieve the girl, so it decided to bide its time and wait for the twins to be alone. Even if there were no barrier, there were still too many powerful beings protecting the two of them right now.

* * *

Thanks for reading. Sorry that this chapter is a little short, but I will hopefully do better the next time.

Please review! Your comments really help keep me going.^^


End file.
